Balto: Starcrossed
by eagle205
Summary: After Balto 3, Wings of Change, Kodi has risen to become lead dog on the mail team, and Dusty has begun to have feelings for him, though he is oblivious to them. When Kodi is captured by wolves, events begin to unfold that will have great consequences...
1. Trouble on the Trail

**Trouble on the Trail**

A fickle wind stirred the tops of the evergreens as the first flakes of snow began to drift across the narrow trail. The stillness of the forest below was shattered by a sudden spray of snow churned up by two dozen paws as a sled team toiled against their harnesses. Kodi, the leader, raised his head and sampled the air without breaking stride. As the frigid wind hit him in the face, he returned his full attention to the trail ahead. A change in the weather was coming; that much was evident, and if they were to stay on schedule, they'd have to pick up the pace.

Their musher noticed his lead dog's behavior and reconsidered his plan to continue moving until sundown. The constantly shifting winds foretold of rough weather, possibly even a blizzard. The rapidly decreasing visibility added to his worries. As the snow began to fall more heavily, he made the tough decision to stop the team. It might make the mail late to Nome, but better late than lost. Spotting a small clearing off the trail, he steered the team toward it and brought them to a stop. After unhitching the team, he began to set up camp for the night.

A large gray husky shook the snow out of his fur. "Do we _have_ to run that fast _all_ the time, Kodi?"

The lead dog nodded. "We do if we want to stay on time. We've got a reputation to keep."

"You and your reputation!" the gray husky grumbled. "My paws are killing me!"

"You're always complaining about your feet! Can't you ever complain about something that affects everyone else, Ralph?" a stocky, brown husky shot back.

Ralph scowled at his teammate. "Like what, Kirby? You always pulling to the right?"

"Like, say, the weather? And I don't pull to the right!"

A feminine laugh caused both dogs to look at a petite gray husky who was shaking her head in disbelief. "I think you both complain too much!"

"Zip it, Dusty! It's not like you never complain about anything," Kirby shot back.

"Yeah, but girls always complain, or at least that's what I've heard you say," Dusty said, still snickering. "What's _your_ excuse?"

The rest of the team broke out into laughter.

"Yeah, if only your feet were as fast as your mouth," Kirby grumbled.

Kodi shook his head, trying not to laugh too hard. "Ok, ok. We're in for some rough weather tonight, so let's everyone go find a place to bed down."

"Yes sir! Yes sir!" Dusty replied jauntily, brushing against him as she passed.

"Jeeze, Kodi. You just ain't any fun anymore since you became lead dog," Ralph complained. "I think I liked you better as a rookie."

Kodi stopped short. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let's face it Kodi, you've become a hard-nose." Kirby explained matter-of-factly.

Ralph nodded in agreement. "Yeah, a real stick-in-the-mud."

"I have not!" Kodi said defensively. "Have I? Come on, guys! I'm not really that bad, am I?"

Kriby shrugged. "Sorry, Buddy-boy, but facts _are_ facts."

"Ralph?"

"Kirby said it. You've gotten awful bossy since you took over."

"I'd listen to him, boys," Dusty called as she dug into the snow. "That wolf-sense of his hasn't been wrong yet."

Still grumbling, the two dogs nevertheless started to dig holes of their own.

Kodi shook his head and walked over to Dusty's snow nest. "Dusty? Can I ask you a question?"

Dusty raised her head out of the hole. "You just did, but I'll give you another," she said with a wink.

"How would you say I'm doing as lead dog?"

Dusty shrugged. "We've only been late with the mail once this month, and that was due to weather. That's the best record I've ever heard of at any rate. You're focused, you always seem to get the job done, you…"

"But what about personality-wise?" Kodi interjected. "Am I letting this position of authority go to my head? Am I trying too hard? Am I overreacting? Am I…"

"Look, Kodi, you're starting to sound like the same tenderfoot that joined the team last year. Relax. You're idealistic, confident, caring…I'd say you're doing a pretty good job all around."

"But do you think I'm bossy?"

"Of course…"

"Seriously?"

"What leader isn't? You gotta do what you gotta do to get the job done."

"Yeah, but…I don't know. I still want to be friends with you guys. Kirby and Ralph…"

"Ah, they're just pulling your leg. It's when they stop complaining that you should start worrying. Besides, you don't ever hear them complaining any when they hear someone bragging about 'Kodi's Team.'"

"Yeah, I guess. It's just…I have so much to live up to, ya know?"

"Look, Kodi. You don't have anything to prove. You're not your dad. You're you. That's good enough for me and anyone else. The other guys would follow you anywhere you wanted to go. And so would I."

A small grin appeared on Kodi's face. "Thanks, Dusty. You're as good of friend as anyone could ask for."

He nuzzled her briefly before moving away to dig a nest for himself. Dusty shook her head and lay down. She sighed placed her head on her paws.

After a quick meal, human and dogs alike bedded down for the night to weather out the coming storm. As the wind picked up and the fire died, a shadow drifted silently through the camp and stealthily approached the sled.

* * *

The next morning, Kodi awoke to the startled shout of his musher. He clawed his way out of the insulating snow that had covered him during the night and immediately regretted it as he was met with a frigid gust of wind. Repressing a shiver, he looked around and immediately spotted the musher's cause for concern. _Oh no!_

The supplies that had remained lashed to the sled were in total disarray. He walked over cautiously to investigate and shook his head in dismay. Whatever had raided the camp had apparently made off with all the food that had been on the sled. A quick examination of the scene revealed the identity of the thief or thieves. _Wolves! What are they doing around here? _

All around, dogs from the team broke out of their snow nests, looking around for the source of the disturbance. Looking up, at the snow that was still falling heavily, Kodi realized that the team would not be able to travel today, and given their current predicament, he realized that they were in for a meager fare until they got back to Nome. His stomach growled. _Well, now's as good of time as any to break the news to the team._

"We've got a bit of a problem, guys," he said, walking over to them.

Kirby yawned and stretched. "Can't it wait until after breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'm starved," Ralph added, rubbing his belly with his paw.

"You're always starved!" Kirby laughed, jabbing him in the ribs. "Just try to finish your chow before we leave."

"That's sorta the problem," Kodi interjected, raising his voice to be heard above the wind. "With the weather like it is, we aren't going to be going anywhere today, and we aren't going to be eating very much either."

A series of surprised exclamations rose from the team, forcing Kodi to speak louder still. "Wolves broke into our supplies last night."

"Wolves! Why those low-down, thieving, good for nothing…"

"I'd like to get hold of one of those mangy…."

Kodi shook his head at the grumbled threats and comments, seeing no reason to argue the point. At one point, he had greatly admired wolves. He still could vividly recall standing in awe at the sight of two wolves when he was a pup, and the occasion was memorable enough to make a lasting impression on him as a pup. Especially after finding out that they were close friends of his father.

Shortly after his father's return last winter, everything had finally clicked in Kodi's mind. He had always heard Balto refer to Kemo as the pups' uncle, but only after realizing his father's true heritage had he recognized his relationship to the two wolves as being literal. Still, he had continued to associate wolves with being honorable and noble for the most part…not fly-by-night thieves.

He decided to try focusing on the positive rather than the negative. "The weather will probably clear in a couple of days, and we'll be on our way."

"But what if it doesn't?" Nova, the youngest dog on the team asked.

"He's got a good point, Kodi," Ralph added. "These storms can last a long time!"

"The weather will clear in a couple of days," Kodi repeated forcefully, though his voice had lost a bit of its confidence. "Until then, though, things are gonna be pretty tight."

"In that case, I got dibs on Ralph's ration," Dusty replied cheerily.

"Uh-uh! Why do you get it?" Kirby challenged.

"I'm a lady, that's why," she returned.

"Could we maybe split it?"

"Okay."

"Hey! What am I supposed to eat?" Ralph interrupted.

"Sorry, Ralph, but the way I see it, you're already eating for two," Dusty said with a grin.

"Yeah," Kirby laughed, poking his hefty friend in the belly. "You've got enough there for two months, Ralphy-boy!"

"I'm big-boned, that's all," Ralph said indignantly.

Kodi shook his head and smiled. At least they were managing to keep their spirits up about this. He felt a chill run down his back as he got the distinct impression he was being watched. Scanning the treeline carefully, he was unable to spot anything out of place. _I don't know who you are, but I'm going to be watching._

_

* * *

_

The day passed without further incident as dogs and human alike tried to shield themselves from the weather. No matter how hard he tried, Kodi could not shake the feeling that they were being watched. As dusk fell, he resolved to stay awake and guard their campsite. _Just let that robber try sneaking in this time._

Soon enough, the musher crawled into his tent and the fire was left to die down. The snow continued to fall heavily, and as the hours ticked by, Kodi began to grow cold and drowsy watching the flickering embers.

He was just on the verge of giving up watching for the night when something stirred in the darkness. Kodi froze, forgetting all thoughts of discomfort. He watched a lupine form appear at the treeline and hesitate, studying the camp. Deciding the situation to be safe, it crept out into the open and cautiously made its way to the sled. Finding nothing of interest there, it began to creep toward the human's tent. Kodi slowly rose to a crouch, hoping to take the creature by surprise. His sudden movement drew the attention of the intruder however, which snapped its head in his direction. Scrutinizing him for a split second, the creature bolted from the campsite.

"Oh no you don't!" Kodi cried as he bounded into action. His long strides began to close the gap between himself and the intruder.

The creature risked a quick glance over its shoulder, and seeing Kodi closing in, suddenly added an unnatural burst of speed to its pace and began to evasively thread its way through the forest.

"Wait!" Kodi called out as he ran. "I won't hurt you!"

The creature paid him no heed as it continued to lengthen the distance between itself and its pursuer. Kodi briefly lost sight of the other canine before he burst into near-whiteout conditions in a clearing. Blinking to keep the driving snow out of his eyes, he lowered his head and began to follow the intruder's tracks. This, too, proved futile as he the heavy snow soon covered up the other's tracks.

"Blast!" Kodi stopped and shook the snow off his back, his heavy breathing condensing in the frigid temperatures. He looked around for any trace of his quarry but seeing no sign of a trail, he sighed. "No use just standing around. Guess I'd better head back to camp."

He turned around and froze where he stood. He looked one way, then the other. He suddenly realized his critical error…he had just followed a wolf into unfamiliar territory in the middle of a snowstorm. The falling snow had already covered up most of his tracks, and he'd been so intent on following the thief that he hadn't marked his trail in any way. To call this a beginner's mistake was an understatement.

"How could I be so stupid!" he exclaimed, mentally kicking himself. "And I didn't even let anyone else know I'd left! Way to represent, Kodi."

"Well, no sense in standing around in the cold. I'll make my way back in the morning." He sighed and began to dig into the snow.

* * *

Kodi yawned, and slowly opened his eyes. White. Everything around him was white! It took him a split second to realize that he was in his snow nest before he clawed furiously at the snow and broke through to the surface. A frigid wind blasted the air from his lungs, causing him to gasp in surprise. He looked around at the frozen scenery, images and memories of the previous night hit him at once. The wolf. The chase. His current situation…

As he stared at the bleak landscape, he shook his head, again berating himself for taking such a foolish action. His mind was reeling as he tried to decide on his next move. He closed his eyes, looked down, and took a deep breath. Slowly letting it out, he opened his eyes and froze. In front of him was a pawprint that he had not made. Turning his head sharply to the right, his eyes followed the tracks toward the treeline. Sniffing them, he recognized the distinctive scent of the wolf he had pursued last night. They smelled fresh too. He glanced up at the sky. The low, dark clouds promised more snow to come. He glanced again at the tracks. A voice deep down inside of him warned him to just find his way back to his team.

Glancing at the sky again, he set his jaw determinedly. "I'll just follow the trail for a few minutes to see where it leads. Then I'll try to find my team." Standing resolutely, he set off following the trail of wolf prints.

He was completely oblivious to the three pairs of eyes that marked his passing. Had he glanced behind him, he would have noticed the swift, shadowy movements of trained hunters spreading out to follow him.

* * *

Kodi trudged slowly through the newly fallen snow, tenaciously following the scent of his quarry. He had no definite idea where this trail might lead, but there was no way he was going to let the thief off the hook. After several minutes however, he began to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. _I'm not alone._ He stopped, listening carefully. The forest was silent but for the sound of his own breathing. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and continued along the path, albeit more cautiously.

Suddenly, the trail of footprints ended in the middle of a small forest clearing. Kodi stopped abruptly, unable to believe his eyes. He began to carefully scan his surroundings, looking for anything that seemed out of place. "Come on, I know you're here somewhere…" he whispered to himself.

A sharp movement to his right caught his eye and he turned to face it. "Hey!"

_It's a trap,_ a voice seemed inside him cried. Realizing his mistake, he started to turn his head back around before he was suddenly hit broadside. He quickly rolled to his feet and came face-to-face with a snarling gray and black timber wolf. As the wolf began to circle around him, Kodi gave his opponent a quick once-over. The wolf was young, that much was certain. Judging by his stance and deep growl, however, this wolf was definitely not here to play games.

"What do you want?" Kodi asked, forcing his voice to remain calm.

The wolf made no reply as it continued to test his guard.

"I don't want to fight you," Kodi continued in the same even voice. "I…."

He was cut off as he was hit broadside again. Again he rolled with the impact and came up on his paws again. This time, though, there were two wolves facing him.

Without warning, the first wolf charged at his shoulder. Kodi recognized the feint mere seconds before his attacker went for his throat instead. He reared back and brought his head down hard on the wolf's muzzle, eliciting a surprised yelp of pain as the wolf hastily retreated a few steps. Kodi spun just in time to intercept an attack from the other wolf. He bit into the back of his assailant's neck but released his hold quickly. The second wolf cried out and jumped away, giving Kodi a moment to reevaluate his situation.

Both wolves seemed rather startled at his reaction times, judging by the way they were cautiously beginning to circle him. It was obvious that they were attempting to divide his attention, possibly in hopes that he would focus on one and allow the other to move in for a critical strike. If they were puzzled at his lack of retaliation, they did not show it as they continued to test his defense for any weakness that could be exploited. He, however, had no desire to hurt them…at least until he could learn what this was all about.

"Look, if you can understand me, I don't want to fight you. I just want to move on."

His attackers snarled in reply, giving acknowledgement to neither his peaceful tone nor his diplomatic offer. Both wolves suddenly rushed at him. Kodi barely had time to react as the second wolf dove to strike at his belly. He leapt into the air and crashed into the first wolf as it jumped to counter his movement. Kodi, realizing his vulnerable position, ripped at his attacker's shoulder, drawing first blood. The wolf howled in pain, stumbling backward as soon as they hit the ground.

Kodi gave his surroundings a quick check to guard against any other attacks before turning his attention forward again. The second wolf had joined the first, who was now favoring his left foreleg. Both made eye contact and then, growling, turned to face him. They began to spread out again. _Uh oh. Maybe that wasn't a good idea._ He gave the area a quick once over once again Noticing a low overhang flanked by several fallen trees, he slowly began to back toward it, trying to keep them in sight at all times. _I can't keep evading these surprise attacks forever. If I can get to that overhang, at least my back will be safe._

Not deterred in the least, the two wolves began to advance toward him. Then, he felt something solid behind him. _There! Safe at… _

Before he could finish his thought, a heavy force slammed into him from behind and above. As his paws went out from under him, he realized that he had just walked right into another ambush. The first wolf he'd seen must've hidden on top of the overhang waiting for the right moment to strike.

Kodi hit the ground hard, his breath exploding out of him and his eyes glazing over from the sheer force of the impact. He knew that he had just made his final and fatal mistake and briefly wondered what his friends and family would think when he disappeared without a trace. Through his hazy vision, he could see the other two wolves rushing in to finish what they'd started.

"Stop!"

The charging wolves balked at the commanding tone and slid to a stop. Fighting an agonizing battle to get his wind back, Kodi struggled to turn his head to face this newcomer. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw his rescuer. She was wiry and relatively small, yet walked with such dignity and pride that she clearly held a high status in her pack.

"Why do you intervene, Kanti?" the second wolf growled. "He is a trespasser!"

"Yes," the first wolf added, limping forward a few steps. "Blood for blood!"

"_That_ is not our way," Kanti replied sternly. "You know our law. Trespassers are to be waylaid to learn their intentions, but are not to be attacked.

"This we did, but he attacked…"

Kanti regarded him coldly. "Had I not watched your three-point ambush in action, I might have believed that."

The three wolves bowed their heads. Regarding them disapprovingly, the leader walked casually past them and looked down at Kodi.

Kodi, still trying to breathe normally, nevertheless met her gaze without flinching. "What…you…want?" he asked between gasps.

"Can you walk?" she asked coldly.

Wincing, Kodi struggled to his feet.

"I suppose you 'tame' canines are not as weak as I thought," she said with a condescending smile. "Now for the most important question. Can you be trusted to not cause trouble?"

"Why?"

"I did not request a question. Yes or no will suffice."

Kodi hesitated a moment to assess his situation. He quickly arrived at the conclusion that he was in no condition to resist, and even if he was, he would not have desired to test his luck by fighting four wolves. "Yes," he finally replied.

She stared at him as though trying to decide if he was telling the truth. Finally, she turned to the other wolves. "Naskapi, Chinook. You will follow." She looked at the wounded wolf. "Akla, make your way back at your own pace."

Then, she turned her icy gaze back to Kodi. "You will come with us."


	2. Nome

**Nome**

"Balto!"

The wolf-dog squeezed his eyelids shut and tried to curl himself into a tighter ball under the blanket. _If I pretend I didn't hear, maybe the world will go away and let me sleep…_

"Balto, I know you're awake."

Balto finally gave up and pried one of his eyes open and saw a pair of white paws in front of his face. He comically raised his gaze to the speaker's face. "Aww…have a heart, Jenna! I feel like I just fell asleep."

Jenna regarded him with amusement and mock impatience. "What's the matter? You getting soft or something," she teased, prodding him with a paw.

Balto uncurled himself and stretched himself out as far as he could. "You know it," he said with a yawn.

Chuckling, Jenna lay down beside him and nuzzled his face. "Now what would everyone else say if they knew what a grump you are when you wake up?"

He rolled onto his back and rested the back of his head on the top of her paws. "Give me a break! I'm tired!" he laughed.

"Oh, stop acting like an overgrown pup!" she chided, standing up and letting his head hit the floor. "You don't want to be asleep when the mail team returns, do you?"

Balto yawned and stood up. "Yes, but I certainly wouldn't miss this for the world. Assuming Kodi gets them here on time, they'll set a new record for the most runs without being late."

"Right, and we don't want to be late for that, now do we?"

"Of course not." Balto yawned and flopped down onto the rug again. "So wake me up in five minutes."

"Oh, no you don't." Jenna nudged his shoulder but received no response. "Balto, I know you don't fall asleep that fast."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't. You're talking."

"In my sleep."

Jenna rolled her eyes. "Well, there's one thing I know of that will get you up."

"What's that?" he mumbled.

"This." She poked him in the belly, causing him to jerk away reflexively.

"Hey! That tickles!"

"Does it?" She poked him again.

"Yes! Have a heart, will ya?" he protested, trying not to laugh.

She continued to poke him. "You awake yet?"

He was beginning to chuckle. "No."

"You sure?"

He was laughing harder now. "Yes!"

"You really sure?"

"All right! All right! I'm up! I'm up!" He scrambled to his feet.

"I thought you might see things my way," she remarked with a sly smile.

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well two can play this game."

"Balto, don't even think about…"

She was cut off as he pinned her and started poking her back. Soon both were laughing as they continued to tickle each other.

"Um…bad time?" a voice asked from the door.

Both froze and looked over at the door to see Kaltag and Tricksy smiling in amusement. They scrambled to their feet as if nothing had happened.

"No, no. Of course not," Balto said hastily.

"Not at all," Jenna agreed.

"So what has you two out and about?" Balto asked before either visitor could comment.

"We're out to see an old record shattered and a new one set," Kaltag replied matter-of-factly.

Tricksy gave her mate a less-than-subtle shove. "More than that."

"I've got a professional interest at stake here."

"In other words he wants to be there when Kip runs in with Kodi and the rest of the team," Tricksy interpreted. "Kaltag here just doesn't want to admit it."

"Hardly. Wouldn't want Kip to get too big of head on his shoulders after all," Kaltag replied with a wink. "It's already bad enough that he's running with the best mail team in the north!"

"That he is," Balto replied with a broad grin.

"Speaking of which, I'm surprised you two don't already have your seats staked out for the big finish. After all, your son happens to be lead dog in case you've forgotten," Tricksy said.

"Actually, we were just about to leave," Jenna responded. "Do you mind if we join you?"

"Not in the least," Kaltag replied courteously. "We would be honored, thrilled, flattered…"

"In other words, we don't mind," Tricksy interjected, giving Kaltag a wry smile.

"Well then lead the way," Balto said cheerfully. As Tricksy and Kaltag turned to leave, he leaned over to Jenna. "We'll continue this later," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Jenna smiled back. "I wouldn't try it if I was you."

Chuckling, the couple followed their guests outside.

"So when do you think they'll finally come dragging in," Kaltag asked as the four canines strolled toward the outskirts of town.

"Depends on how many times they had to stop and rest their paws," Balto said with a wink. "Those youngsters don't have any idea how easy they've got it these days."

"That's for sure. Why back when I first started running, we were pulling the heaviest, weightiest, most massive, most gargantuan loads I've ever seen!" Kaltag laughed.

"In the blinding snow…" Balto added.

"Through the driving wind…" Kaltag continued.

"Across treacherous ice traps…"

"Uphill both ways…"

"Will you listen to those two, Jenna?" Tricksy said with a smirk. "You'd think they conquered the Yukon Territory all by themselves in a month!"

"Riiiiiiiight. And I guess they've forgotten how many complaints we had to put up with from them," Jenna added with a smile. "_If I never lead another supply run again, it'll be too soon!_"

Tricksy laughed. "And who can forget this one…_Oh, my feet are killing me!_"

"Ah yes, that was a common one," Jenna said with a chuckle. "And what about…"

"Are you listening to this Kaltag," Balto asked, feigning a wounded pride.

Kaltag shook his head sadly. "And this the cruelest cut of all. It scars my very soul!"

"You'd think we did nothing but complain…"

"Sorry, Dear," Jenna interjected. "But as much as I love you, you complain more than a three-week old pup."

Kaltag laughed. "That's pretty good, Jenna!"

"Don't laugh, Kaltie," Tricksy said with a raised eyebrow. "You're even worse than that."

Now it was Balto's turn to laugh as they finally reached the edge of the town and sat down to wait. "I think we're fighting a losing battle here, Pal."

"I'd hardly say that it's a…"

Balto suddenly cocked his head to one side. "Wait!"

"Is it the team?" Jenna asked.

Tricksy also pricked her ears and listened carefully. A grin slowly spread across her face. "Yep! They're coming!" She let out a joyful howl that was echoed by a distant canine.

Balto smiled broadly. "Sounds like Kip! Looks like they've made it after all. They should be coming into view"

"When?" Kaltag asked.

Balto listened for a moment. "Right about….now."

The sled team broke over the horizon and Kaltag, Jenna, and Balto joined Tricksy in welcoming howl.

"What's all the commotion?" a voice asked from behind them.

They turned to see a terrier standing behind them.

"It's the mail team, Mel!" Kaltag exclaimed.

"They made it? I thought for sure something terrible had happened to them!"

"Nothing new there, Tricksy muttered to herself as Mel joined the group in staring at the approaching team.

Balto shook his head and watched as the team drew nearer. As he began to make out the silhouettes of individual dogs, the smile faded from his face. "Wait a second. Something's not right here."

Mel hit the ground and covered his face with his paws. "I knew it! Didn't I say that?"

Jenna, Kaltag, and Tricksy ignored the cowering terrier and stared at Balto who was gazing steadily at the team.

Balto stood rooted to the spot. "Something's happened. One of the dogs is missing."

"What?" Kaltag peered carefully at the horizon.

"Which one?" Jenna asked.

"Is it Kip?" Tricksy asked hurriedly.

A horrified expression crossed Balto's face. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but said nothing. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. "It's Kodi."

Everyone turned their stunned eyes to the team which was now completely visible. Sure enough, Kirby was running lead again, followed by Dusty, Ralph, Kip, and the wheel dog Nova.

"Is he injured? Is he on the sled?" Jenna asked.

Balto and Tricksy slowly shook their heads.

"Didn't I say something terrible had happen?" Mel asked.

Balto shot him a cold glance. "I'm sure there's a perfectly logical and reasonable explanation. We'll find out as soon as they finish the run."

* * *

The mail sled skidded to a stop in front of the mail office and the musher hopped off the runners and walked over to the postmaster as an excited crowd gathered around him. The dogs shook the snow out of their fur.

"Well, looks like we did it," Kip said dryly.

"Yeah," Ralph replied, glumly. "We did it all right."

"How could we just leave him though," Dusty demanded. "It's not like Kodi to just disappear like that. Something _has_ to have happened to him!"

"What could've happened to him?" Kirby asked. "He was there when we went to sleep, he wasn't when we woke up. It's not the first time a dog has wandered off from a team. For all we know, he could be lounging in the Boiler Room as we speak."

"Kodi not like that," Nova replied shortly.

"Nova's right," Kip added. "When has Kodi ever let us down before?"

"And what about those few tracks we found?" Dusty asked. "They looked like wolf tracks. How can you not be worried?"

"I _am_ worried," Kirby retorted. "I'm just trying to stay optimistic until we find out any differently."

"We _have_ to go look for him," Dusty shot back. "He'd come looking for us if we were in his position."

"We don't even know anything bad has happened to him," Kirby reiterated. "I'm worried about him. Really I am. But let's be pragmatic. You know as well as I do that those clouds mean snow. Lots of snow. There's no way we'd be able to even reach Anvil Creek before that snow storm hits us. Kodi's a big boy. He knows how to take care of himself."

Dusty glared at him. "But what if he's hurt and can't?"

Kirby frowned but made no response.

"Do you really think he could be in that much trouble?" Kip whispered to Dusty.

Dusty stared at the horizon they'd just come from. "I…I don't know. I wish I knew."

"Kip!"

Dusty and Kip turned their heads to see Tricksy and Kaltag running toward them with Balto and Jenna following at a slower pace behind. Tricksy immediately ran up to him and nuzzled him. "I'm glad you're safe! I was worried that…"

"I'm fine, Mom," Kip said, his tone betraying his embarrassment.

Kaltag smiled, but his smile was somewhat restrained as Balto and Jenna stopped beside him. "Well, I'd say congratulations are certainly in order…"

Kip lowered his head. "Yeah. We made it back…most of us anyway."

"Wh…where is Kodi?" Jenna asked hesitantly.

All eyes turned to Kip. Feeling the pressure of all four gazes on him, he opened his mouth to say something, but no words would come. He glanced helplessly at Dusty, who sighed but refused to meet their eyes. This uncharacteristic behavior confirmed all their worries and fears.

"What happened?" Balto asked in a measured voice.

Dusty and Kip traded looks of uncertainty before Dusty finally responded. "We don't know…at least not for sure."

Balto nodded, bracing himself for the worst. "Go on."

Dusty sighed again. "All we know is that he was with us when we went to sleep last night, but was gone in the morning without a trace. We had to leave without him. We didn't have a choice."

Balto set his jaw. "And that's all you know?"

Kip suddenly spoke up. "Well, there is one other thing."

All eyes were on him again. Kip shifted uncomfortably.

"Kip?" Kaltag prompted.

"We've had wolf problems," Kip stated seriously. "They've been raiding our supplies, and this morning when we left, we noticed some traces of wolf prints in the camp. Knowing Kodi, he probably caught the thief and went after him." Kip hesitated again. "I've heard tales about wolves…"

Jenna choked back a fearful sob and Balto placed his head comfortingly on hers and offered a slight nod. Nuzzling Jena again, he turned away and looked up at the sky.

"We've got to go after him," Dusty said to no one in particular as she approached.

The first few flakes of snow drifted past Balto's face as he shook his head. "I won't even make it to Anvil Creek before this snow hits."

Dusty gave him a shocked look. "You're sounding like Kirby!" she accused.

"Kirby's right," he replied simply. "Having a team searching will do Kodi no good. In fact, more dogs may end up lost as well."

"How can you just stay here while Kodi's out there? He's your _son_!"

"I didn't say _I_ wasn't going."

Dusty breathed a sigh of relief. "Right. When do we leave?"

Balto regarded her with an odd stare. "_We_ don't."

"But you said…"

"I said I'm going out. Alone." Seeing Dusty's shocked expression, he continued. "Trust me, moving alone, I'll have a better chance of moving further before the storm hits." He turned to Jenna, who had been wordlessly watching the entire exchange. "Wish me luck."

"Always." She nuzzled him. "Be careful."

He offered her a tight grin. "Always." With that, he took off as the snow began to pick up.

Jenna moved over to Dusty. "If anyone has a chance at finding Kodi, it's Balto."

Dusty made no reply. After staring after Balto's retreating form, she turned sharply and went to join the rest of the mail team.


	3. A Break of Good Fortune

**A Break of Good Fortune**

Dark clouds hung low in the sky as the small scouting party led their captive across the snow-covered terrain. They had been traveling for what Kodi estimated to be two hours at a grueling pace. He had long since given up looking for opportunities to escape, for every breath he took brought a sharp twinge in his side. Never before had he felt so weak and vulnerable. _I must have bruised some ribs when I went down. Not good. Not good at all. _As he struggled to keep pace with his captors, he suddenly stumbled and plowed face-first into the snow for the third time.

The four wolves stopped, glaring impatiently as he struggled to climb back to his feet. Kodi slowly raised himself off the ground, only to have his legs give out once again. He hit the ground with a grunt, his breathing labored.

Kanti spun and walked toward him, annoyed at the delay. "On your feet."

"…Can't," he gasped.

"Akla has managed well thus far," she replied, nodding at the wolf he had wounded. "Your weakness is no excuse."

"…Can't. Have to slow down."

Kanti glared at him as the first few flakes of snow began to fall. "Those clouds signify a blizzard. It is only in deference to our clan's traditions that your life has been preserved thus far, but if it comes to a choice between your life and ours, you will be left behind."

Taking a deep breath, Kodi forced his way to his feet, biting back a cry of pain as he did so. Securely on his feet, he stood and met her gaze, muscles quivering from exhaustion.

Kanti gave him a condescending smirk. "That was not so hard, now was it?" She turned to her followers. "We double our speed."

_DOUBLE!_ Kodi stared at the wolves in open-mouthed shock. Though they stoically held their emotions in check, he could've sworn he saw the corners of their mouths twitching in amusement. _If I can't make it at their 'normal' speed, how can they expect me to double it? _

Kanti gave him another demeaning stare. "If we are to outrun this storm, we must pick up the pace." She looked at the others again. "Move out."

Kodi had no time to think as his captors broke into a fast, loping pace toward the low, distant mountains.

* * *

What seemed to be an eternity later, they finally arrived in the foothills of the mountains. A frigid wind ruffled their fur as Kanti finally slowed the party down to a brisk walk, apparently thinking them close enough to safety to take a _slightly_ more casual pace. Kodi tried in vain to keep his shivering from the cold and utter exhaustion in check. It was everything he could do to keep putting one paw in front of the other, while his captors, heads lowered into the wind, continued to glide seemingly effortlessly. Faced with the prospect of being left to fend for himself in the upcoming storm, Kodi had no choice but to match them as best as he could.

Coming into a low valley between the hills, they were suddenly shielded from most of the wind, and Kanti slowed the group to a stop and gave a long, mournful howl. A brown and gray wolf suddenly appeared on a rocky ledge, gave the group a once over, and then sounded a howl of his own. Hearing his cry echoed by another, more distant wolf, the sentry nodded at Kanti who proceeded to lead her group at a more stately pace down the trail.

Still shivering, Kodi allowed himself the luxury of glancing at his surroundings, trying to take in as much information as he could in passing. He knew full well that the unexpected could possibly end his problems permanently. Looking from side to side, he suddenly realized that they were far from alone. Lining several vantage points as the group passed were wolves…_dozens_ of wolves. Some gazed curiously at him, others suspiciously. Some cried out eagerly and clambered down from their rocky perches and fell in behind him, trailing at a small distance. Kodi frowned, trying not to show how frightened he was but not liking this situation one bit. _They're eager for _what_, I wonder?_ He wasn't sure he wanted the answer.

As they rounded a slight bend in the trail, the mouth of rather large cave yawned ominously before them. Kodi suddenly became even more uneasy, if that was even possible. His doom awaited him there, he was sure of it. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder and saw a sizeable crowd now following not too far behind him. _Not good. Not good. Not good._

"Remain here," Kanti ordered without looking behind her. She continued forward and disappeared into the rock shelter.

Akla, Naskapi, and Chinook halted as they were told and waited patiently. Kodi reluctantly halted as well. "If you're going to kill me, why not get it over with," he asked to no one in particular.

"Silence!" Akla barked. "Or I'll grant that request myself."

Kodi fell silent again and listened to the excited murmuring and chattering of the wolves behind him. Seconds ticked by, and then minutes, and still Kanti had not reappeared. The suspense was driving him mad. After all, it was one thing to be mauled by a grizzly, but quite another to stand around waiting for one to show up. It was rather ironic, he thought, to go from being the hunter three hours earlier to being the prey now. He was trapped. He _had_ to find a way out.

He began to let his eyes wander, searching for a means of escape. _Cliffs to the right…too steep to climb. Cave in front…more wolves in there…I'd just trap myself further. Wolves behind…correction, _LOTS_ of wolves behind. I'd never get through them all._

His hopes began to falter as his eyes drifted to his left. _More cliffs to the left. Still too steep for me to…wait!_ His eyes fell upon what appeared to be a narrow trail that snaked up through a tree-lined pass. It was so far away though. Even given the element of surprise, he could not logically hope to outrun this many wolves in their own territory. But Kodi was not thinking logically by this point. The first rule of the hunted was not to get caught. In the event that one was captured, the second rule was to escape, no questions asked.

He cast another quick glance over his shoulder. None of the wolves who were crowded behind seemed to be entirely focused on him. Besides, he was a fast runner, so perhaps he could get enough of a head start to make it to the pass. The only problem was his three guards…He glanced at them from the corner of his eyes. The one called Naskapi, posted on his left, was apparently scanning the crowd for someone. Chinook, who had positioned himself in front when Kanti departed, was staring straight ahead.

_Good. That leaves only Akla._ The guard on his left was scanning the area, looking away from Kodi. _Wounded and not paying attention. Perfect. _

His shivering had mostly subsided now, but his muscles seemed incredibly stiff. He slowly flexed his shoulders to see what his captors would do. They didn't seem to notice, so he continued to slowly stretch, playing it off as nervous movement. Still they paid no attention to him. _It's now or never…_

Kodi suddenly darted to his left, slamming into Akla's wounded shoulder and effectively bowling the wolf over. The wolf gave a pained yelp, immediately drawing all the other wolves' attention to Kodi as he sprinted with every bit of strength he could muster. A loud, angry cry rang out from several of the wolves as they took off in pursuit.

Repressing the urge to look back, Kodi beelined for the trail, keeping it in sight at all times. His breathing came in ragged gasps as the cold air seemed to tear at his lungs and his ribs cried out for him to slow down. These feelings he ignored. _Breathe and run! Breathe and run!_

He was so focused on the trail that he did not see the gray canine that angled in at him from the side and dove under his feet. His balance disrupted, he tumbled into the snow and rolled to his feet, only to find his path blocked by the wiry gray and white wolf that had tripped him. He stopped indecisively before deciding to move, but the few seconds the fall cost him were enough for the rest of the wolves to catch up. Several of them leaped at him and he had no choice but to meet the attack as the others formed a circle around him. Faced with attacks from all sides, Kodi moved like the wind, striking here, blocking there, all the while moving in a dance that would determine his very survival.

One by one the original attackers fell back to the safety of their fellow wolves, either from wounds or fatigue, only to be replaced other wolves who were by now spoiling for a fight. As the adrenaline flowed through him, Kodi felt almost invincible, completely oblivious to the wounds that were continually inflicted upon him. But time and numbers were not on his side. Without warning, he was blindsided while his attention was directed on three other wolves. With their combined effort, they drug him down to the ground, fighting with everything he had as several more closed in on him. Every ounce of resistance finally spent, Kodi closed his eyes and waited for the final strike.

"Hold!" a powerful voice ordered sharply.

When the attack he was awaiting did not come, he cautiously opened one of his eyes, and then the other, looking around at his assailants who stood frozen in place, their eyes locked on something behind him. As he was on his back, he comically laid his head back to see what they were looking at. What he saw struck a feeling in the back of his mind of something he should remember but could not as an imposing wolf with white fur moved slowly and deliberately toward him. Wincing in pain, Kodi slowly rolled to his belly so he didn't have to look at the wolf upside down.

As the leader approached, flanked by another wolf who also appeared disturbingly familiar, Kodi lowered his eyes respectfully. The wolf stopped a foot from Kodi's face and used a paw to lift Kodi's face and force eye contact. He was not rough, nor was he exactly gentle, but Kodi held his gaze without blinking. The wolf then shifted his eyes to evaluating Kodi's condition, noting numerous open cuts on him, but nothing critical. He then turned to the other wolves.

"Is this how we treat our guests now?" he asked in a firm but even tone. "By attacking them?"

"We were not attacking…" Chinook broke off as the lead wolf pinned him with a flint-hard stare.

"Then what precisely do you call this scene? I would hardly call it nonaggressive."

"He was attempting to escape," Akla replied.

The wolf eyed Kodi appraisingly. "And why would he have need to escape?"

Kanti stepped forward and offered a slight bow. "This _dog_ was caught trespassing on our borders. He was fighting Chinook, Nasksapi, and Akla when I found him. He was given parole so that we could raise the issue before you." She turned a critical eye on Kodi. "Apparently the trust we gave him was misplaced."

"Is what Kanti says true?" the leader asked Kodi. "You accepted parole and then attempted to flee?"

"Yes, but I wasn't exactly given much choice in the matter," Kodi replied.

"One is always in control of their own actions."

Kodi nodded. "I didn't mean to suggest otherwise."

The wolf gave him an odd look. "For one who has just fought with half of my clan and wounded a third of those, you are surprisingly calm and polite. Do you realize that an attack on any member of my clan is considered an attack on the entire clan?"

Kodi nodded again. "I've heard stories that say that."

"Then you should also know that your life is forfeit!" Akla charged with a vengeful gleam in his eyes.

"Silence." The command came softly, but lost none of the potency this leader seemed to emanate. The younger wolf fell silent and the leader turned again to Kodi. "Though he speaks out of turn, Akla has raised a good point. Tell me why you should be allowed to live."

Several possible responses popped into Kodi's mind, but he shook them all away. "I have no excuses. If you're going to kill me, do it now."

The wolf stared quizzically at him and remained silent as he gave Kodi another once-over. "Spoken nobly. You are unlike any _tame_ canine I've ever met, save one."

The wolf suddenly turned away and retreated a few yards to confer with the accompanying wolf who had remained silent thus far. The two continued to speak in hushed tones for several minutes, obviously in heated debate over something…most likely him. At last, the white wolf finally nodded and returned to Kodi.

"You will tell us your version of what happened."

"But…" Chinook fell silent and lowered his head in apology as the leader looked sharply at him.

"Every tale has two sides to it," he said loud enough for all to hear. "He will tell his." He focused on Kodi. "Now."

All eyes turned to Kodi who looked uneasily at the circle of wolves around him. Was this some kind of game of theirs? Nevertheless, he began to speak. "My side of the story is no different than theirs." An excited murmur swept through the crowd of wolves, but Kodi raised his voice to be heard over them. "With one small exception."

Naskapi, Akla, and Chinook glanced uneasily at each other, an action which was carefully marked by the leader's confidant. "And that would be?" she asked.

"The fact that I was attacked with neither warning nor provocation."

"But what were you doing on our land in the first place?" one of the wolves in the crowd asked.

"I was following the trail of a wolf," Kodi replied honestly.

"For what reason?" the leader asked, his voice hard.

"The wolf I was trailing is a thief." A deadly hush fell over all who were listening, but Kodi was determined to at least get this much of the truth out. "They raided my team's food and I followed the trail up until I was ambushed. The one you call Kanti happened to show up before I was killed on the spot."

The leader was silent for a long moment. "Do you realize what accusations you bring against three of my clan? Thievery, attempted murder, and worse than these, _lying_?"

Kodi shook his head. "Not three. Four."

"What?"

"There were four wolves involved."

"You mean to accuse Kanti as well?" the white wolf shook his head. "She is my one of my most trusted advisors."

"Not Kanti, but another. The wolf I was following was not among those who attacked me."

Surprised chattering broke out among the gathered wolves until a black wolf with a single brown patch on his face stepped forward. "How long must we listen to these random accusations? I demand justice!"

The leader regarded him coolly. "Justice will be served. But the question is, to whom was the injustice done?"

"A dozen of my kin are now bloodied because of that _dog_, and you do not know where the injustice was done?"

"Calm yourself Dalag. I see that most of the wounded are indeed your kin. I also notice that most of the involved parties are as well. What does _that_ say to you?"

"That is a ridiculous charge! This insult to my family has no grounds Kemo!"

"Kemo?"A hundred feelings and images came flooding back into Kodi's memory at the sound of the name. Playing on the beach as a pup, watching his father approached by two majestic wolves, a white one and a gray one. The white one approaching him and the rest of the pups. Suddenly everything made sense. The two wolves he remembered were none other than the ones standing before him now. "_Uncle_ Kemo?"

The white wolf froze and slowly turned to face Kodi, a shocked, incredulous expression on his face. "_What?_"

Kodi, grimacing from the pain, convinced his legs to support his weight as he struggled to stand his full height. "You _are_ the Kemo who used to live close to Nome, aren't you?" He looked at the other wolf standing beside Kemo. "And your name is…" He hesitated momentarily, trying to recall the name and hoping against hope that he could remember the correct pronunciation. "Kiska?"

The two wolves turned their heads sharply to face each other, exchanging startled looks and slowly turned their heads to stare quizzically at Kodi.

"You seem to be at the advantage here," Kiska replied cordially, yet cautiously. "You know our names, but we do not know yours."

Kemo stared hard into Kodi's eyes, but before Kodi could respond, the white wolf suddenly turned away and retreating with Kiska and several other wolves following. Kodi mentally kicked himself and lowered himself to the ground in disappointment. _Great. Now you've gone and made your one and only ally mad…_

_

* * *

_

Kemo walked well out of the captive's hearing and stopped, frowning deep in thought.

Kiska moved in front of him. "Well?"

"You were right. He is definitely familiar, and he knows both of our names. I think he is telling the truth."

"True, but we cannot decide based off of this alone." Kiska replied.

"He called me Uncle. There is only one reason why he would address me as such."

"Then you think he is one of Balto's sons?"

"I am almost sure of it."

"We cannot take a chance on _almost_ sure," a brown and gray male stated.

"Quinault is right," Kiska added reluctantly. "We must _be_ sure."

"I _am_ sure of it," Kemo replied with conviction. "The similarity between the way he and Balto act is nothing short of astounding. And he called me Uncle."

"It must be a trick," Dalag replied bluntly.

Kanti nodded. "He proved that he could not be trusted by breaking parole."

Kiska winced. "You must be careful what you assume, Kemo. Do not jump to any conclusions."

"I am jumping to nothing. I am simply stating observations."

"And what if he _is _who you think he is?" Kanti asked.

Kiska shot Kemo a warning glance, which he promptly ignored. "We will decide then," he answered firmly.

"He has spilt the blood of many of our clan…" Dalag pressed.

"We will decide when we find out," Kemo replied, his tone brooking no argument.

Dalag turned abruptly and left the group, followed by everyone but Kiska. "What do you _really _intend to do?" she asked.

"I do not know yet."

Kemo turned to leave, but she was already standing in front of him again. "Do not lie to me Kemo. Your mind is already made up and you know it."

Kemo frowned. "I am not lying. All I know is that I will do what I must."

"You mean you will protect him."

"I cannot harm my own blood, especially if he is telling the truth."

"I am not asking you to," she replied. "Telling the truth, he may be, but you do realize that you could destroy all we've worked for these past two years, do you not?"

The white wolf hesitated and shook his head sadly. "You do not support me in this."

Kiska shook her head in denial. "I will always be behind you. But you know as well as I do that rifts still exist in this Great Clan, and they've been ever widening. Make the wrong decision, and it could mean the end of our dream."

Kemo nodded slowly and walked back to where his clan still gathered around the captive.

* * *

Kodi watched uncertainly as the wolves parted before the stern white wolf and his mate, closing in behind them again as they passed.

A gray and white wolf, the same one who had foiled his attempt to escape, leaned over to Kodi's ear. "Stand up!" he hissed.

Kodi got his paws beneath himself, and with the gray wolf tugging none-too-delicately on the scruff of his neck, managed to stiffly rise to his feet as the white wolf stopped in front of him.

"You called me Uncle," the white wolf said, skipping all niceties. "You lay claim to a right I do not know to be yours. Why?"

Kodi bowed his head, again mentally kicking himself for being so forward. How could he have expected them to remember him after so long? "Because you reminded me of my father's brother. I apologize if I made a mistake."

The white wolf's mate regarded him seriously. "You were correct in my name. I am Kiska, daughter of Koyu and Niska."

The white wolf nodded. "And you were correct in my name as well. I am Kemo, son of Tananka and Fala. I, however, do not recall being related to any mere dog."

Kodi made no response and lowered his head in defeat.

"You have now been instructed in the proper way to introduce one's self. We have told you our names," Kemo stated solemnly. "You should tell us yours."

Kodi stood in silence, still refusing to make eye contact.

"Is the epitome of bad manners to hear another's name without giving yours in return," Kemo added, his voice growing hard.

A low murmur of whispered speculations and comments rippled across the crowd, but Kodi suddenly raised his head proudly and met the leader's gaze. "My name is Kodi. I'm the son of Balto and Jenna."

The wolves who had been guarding him suddenly stumbled back a few steps, heads lowered and a hush descended on everyone gathered.

Kodi frowned, all patience finally expended. "Look, if this is some kind of game, I'm tired of it. If you're going to kill me, fine. But let's cut to the chase and get it over with."

The frown on Kemo's face was still present, but it was tempered by a softening of his features. He shook his head. "Harming you is not our intent."

This brought startled gasps and exclamations from the gathered wolves, and judging by his expression, Kodi felt as clueless as they did. "So far I've been robbed, ambushed, threatened, abused, and assaulted. What _is _your intent?"

The white wolf remained calm in spite of Kodi's angry tone. "That depends. Tell me this, do you have a sister?"

"Two. Kala and Aleu."

"And this Aleu…she looks much like you?"

"No, she looks more like my father. Why?"

"I am sorry for testing you this way, Kodiak," Kemo said with a low bow. "I had to be sure of your identity…Nephew."

Kodi blinked in surprise as the astounded chatter of the wolves grew louder at this announcement. "You…you remember me?"

Kemo raised his head and nodded. "Yes. Please accept my apologies for your treatment by Great Clan thus far."

"I'm still waiting for an answer to my question though."

"Question?" Kemo asked with a thoughtful frown.

"Yes. What do you intend to do with me?"

Kemo cocked his head quizzically. "I was unaware that any question remained regarding this." He raised his voice to address the clan. "Kodiak is my brother's son. He is to be treated with the same respect shown to me."

"This is an outrage!" Akla cried angrily.

"He is to be treated with the same respect," Kemo repeated slowly. "And you will remember your place."

"He was trespassing!"

Kemo's voice turned so cold that it sent a chill down Kodi's spine. "You will speak when spoken to. We have yet to address the issue of your ambush."

"He has every right to be heard," Dalag countered, stepping forward.

Kemo turned to face the black wolf, hackles rising slightly. "Do you dare to question my authority?"

Dalag matched his stance. "You may be the leader of Great Clan, but you claim rights that belong to the clan as a whole, not you. You know our laws."

A low growl formed in the white wolf's throat, only to be silenced as Kiska brushed against him. She stared evenly at Dalag. "To which laws do you refer?"

"An attack was made, not on one, but on many of our clan. It is for the clan elders to decide the fate of the perpetrator. Not you. Not Kemo. _All_ the elders."

Though Kemo appeared ready to argue, Kiska caught his eye. "He's right," she whispered to him.

Kemo sighed. _Now things become difficult._ "Very well. We decide now. What say the elders?"

"We of the Eagle Pass Clan say blood for blood!" Dalag declared immediately, his clan howling loudly in support.

_No surprise there._ Rather than responding, Kemo turned to a shorter white wolf. "What of the Ice Plains Clan?"

"Our laws are clear. We must side with Eagle Pass Clan," the smaller wolf said distatestfully.

Kemo held his feelings in check as he turned to a grizzled, brown male with a scarred face. "Timinuk?"

"Enough blood has been shed," the wolf replied slowly. "The Clan of the Hills will follow your decision."

Kemo nodded and turned to another wolf. "Mala, what say our kin from the south?"

"The Flatland Clan must follow our brothers of Eagle Pass and Ice Plains clans." The somber, gray and brown female glanced sympathetically at Kodi. "But we will take no part in harming your blood should this decision go ill for him."

"And the Swift River Clan?" Kemo asked.

A stocky gray wolf stepped forward. "You have led us wisely and justly thus far. We side with your wisdom."

"And Pine Valley Clan?"

A lithe, brown male stood. "Our answer is as it has been for years. We side with your decision without reservation."

_A tied vote. _Kemo gave an inaudible sigh of relief as he turned to the leader of the last clan, a long time supporter. "And what says Anvil Creek Clan?"

Quinault raised his head slowly, his pained eyes speaking a thousand silent apologies. "We have followed you without question for years, my friend, but the law is clear. Our voices must be in agreement with Dalag." The wolf looked at Kodi. "But our hearts are not."

With a triumphant cry, those of Eagle Pass Clan turned their eyes on Kodi, who took a wider stance, determined not to go down without a fight, but he suddenly found his view blocked as his uncle stepped between him and his would-be executioners.

Kemo's eyes narrowed. "Eagle Pass has used one of their rights to bring this decision to a vote. Now _I _am using one of mine. Any who wish to harm him must fight for that right."

"Clear the path, Kemo," Dalag growled. ""The clans have spoken. As our leader you are bound by that decision."

"And _you_ are bound by _my_ decision. I will clear the path when I am cleared _from_ the path. Not before," the white wolf declared as the first few flakes of snow drifted past him.

"We seek justice, not a fight."

Kiska stepped forward, taking Kodi's other side. "Do not confuse your desire for blood as justice. I recall that mistake being made by your clan all too recently."

Dalag's eyes blazed angrily. "That was the mistake of one, not all."

"What is more foolish, the lemming that casts itself over a cliff or those who follow it in jumping to its doom?" Kemo retorted.

"Do not attempt to cloud this issue by speaking in riddles about the past," Dalag shot back. A chilling gust of wind was channeled down the valley and he looked up as the volume of the large, falling flakes began to increase. He narrowed his eyes at Kemo. "You have won for the moment. But this is not over." He spun abruptly and his clan followed him toward the rock shelter.

As one by one, the clans broke apart and followed Eagle Pass Clan to seek shelter from the approaching storm, Kemo gave long sigh and turned to Kodi. "Again I apologize for putting you through that."

Kodi stared after the retreating wolves. "What did he mean 'this isn't over'?"

Repressing his own worries, Kemo shook his head. "Nothing. It does not matter."

Nodding, though not believing a word, Kodi looked up at the snow-filled sky. "I guess I'd better start for home."

Kiska turned an incredulous look at her mate's nephew. "With this weather and in your current state, you would not make it out of the hills before the winds pick up."

Kodi shook his head. "I've got to try."

"Do not be a fool," Kemo said, tanking a stand beside Kiska. "Has your father not told you the dangers of traveling in a blizzard?"

"Yes, but…"

"And what did he say?"

"Not to do it, but…"

"Do you intend to disobey this order?"

Feeling a bit like a pup under their combined stares, Kodi shrugged. "I don't have a choice."

"Nonsense," Kemo said sternly. "You will remain here until the weather clears."

Kodi hesitated momentarily, trying to think of the most tactful way to pose his answer. "Thanks, but I really don't think that is a good idea."

"I don't either." The trio turned to see Kanti standing to the side. She walked over to them. "This is _not_ a good idea."

Kemo took a deep breath. "I appreciate your concern, Kanti, but…"

"After you defied the wishes of the clan elders you intend to shelter this…this…"

"Nephew," Kemo finished for her, knowing full well this was not the word she had been searching for. "And yes, he will be staying with us until this storm subsides."

"This is madness!" she exclaimed.

"This is the right thing to do," he corrected in an even tone. "Shall I turn my own flesh and blood out into the storm?"

"Yes."

Kiska looked sharply at her. "Kanti!"

"If he stays, this clan will fall apart. You will lose the faith that has been placed in you by everyone."

"Look, I really don't want to cause that much trouble…" Kodi began, only to be cut off as Kemo responded.

"And I will be better off if I let a member of my family die? I will take my chances."

"But…"

"He stays," Kemo finished with an air of finality.

Kanti held Kemo's gaze momentarily before sending a deadly glare at Kodi. "Very well. I will say no more."

She turned and hurried up toward the pass that led into the valley rather than toward the rock shelter. Kodi watched her go and turned to look at the den where several wolves were observing the scene. They all shook their heads and turned back into the cave.

Kemo's voice brought him back to the present. "Come. We have much to discuss."

As Kodi followed his uncle and Kiska toward the cave, he glanced over his shoulder and though the falling snow, he swore he could see Kanti watching and shaking her head at a distance. He blinked and looked again, but could see nothing. _Why do I have a bad feeling about this…? _


	4. Hating Waiting

**Hating Waiting**

Dusty sighed for the umpteenth time as she stared out of the Boiler Room into the blinding snowstorm.

"Hey Dusty!" a voice called from behind her. "Shut the door already! Some of us are trying to keep warm in here!"

Dusty shot an irritated glance over her shoulder. "Stow it, Kirby." She returned her gaze outside.

Kirby turned a surprised look to the rest of the team from where he was lying under one of the room's many shelves. "What's her problem?"

"Same thing that's bothering everyone, Kirby," Kip replied crossly. "In case you haven't noticed, we're sorta missing a teammate here."

"What, Kodi? He's probably fine. And he wouldn't want us to stay down about this either." A sudden gust of wind sent a shiver coursing through his body. "And none of the rest of us are letting all the heat out. Come on, Dusty. Everyone here is freezing. There's nothing any of us can do for him right now."

Dusty cast an annoyed look over her shoulder again, but nevertheless, nudged the door shut with her shoulder. Kirby was right that their options were limited, but it still didn't change her feelings on the matter.

She glanced casually at him as she walked past. "Hey Kirby, you don't like spiders, right?"

"Nope, and it's a good thing the little buggers are all frozen solid by now."

"I see. Well, don't look down."

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny Dusty. If you think I'm going to give you the satisfaction of me looking down, you've got another thing coming."

"Suit yourself." Dusty hopped up to her usual perch and lay down.

"Hmph," Kirby grumbled. "She thinks she's so smart that she can AAAAAAHH!"

Kirby jumped and slammed his head into the overhanging shelf when Ralph ran a toe lightly across his forepaw. The rest of the team erupted into laughter, but Dusty was unable to find any mirth in the scene as she glanced out the window at the fury of the blizzard.

A cold blast of air startled the dogs in the boiler room as a white form, hardly recognizable as a canine stumbled in.

Dusty was on her feet in an instant. "Kodi?"

The canine shook some of the ice crystals out of his fur, revealing himself to be none other than Balto. The wolf-dog shook his head slightly. "N…n…n…no s…s…s…s…s...sign," he said through chattering teeth.

"How cold is it outside?" Ralph asked seriously.

As he stood beside the furnace trying to thaw his frozen muscles, Balto shot Ralph an annoyed glance. "H…h…h…hotter than t…t…t…two Julys wrapped up in a…a…an August. I…I…I'm j…j…j…just wearing the i…i…i..ice t…t…to cool d…d…down."

Ralph frowned. "I didn't mean it that way. I was just wondering if Kodi would be able to handle it," he muttered.

Balto offered an apologetic look and shrugged. "I d…d…don't know. I a…a…almost didn't m…m…m…make it back m…m…myself. S…s….s….s…stayed out t...t…to l…l…l…long."

"Does Jenna know yet?" Kip asked.

"N…no. B…b…barely m…made it th…th…this far." He shook his head sadly. "It's n…n…not something I'm l…l…looking forward t…to."

"Is there no hope then?" Dusty asked quietly.

Balto looked up at her. "There's always h…hope." He walked toward the door and looked out at the blowing snow. "Even if you c…c…c…can't see it."

"You aren't leaving already are you?" Kip asked concernedly. "You only just arrived."

"And you're still frozen solid," Kirby added.

"H…h…have to. Jenna will n…n…n…need me."

With that, he darted out into the raging storm. Dusty lay down once again and placed her head on her paws. The already depressing atmosphere suddenly seemed far more dismal.

* * *

"I guess you were pretty surprised that I remembered you?" Kemo asked, from where he reclined beside Kiska.

Kodi looked up from licking his wounds. "More grateful than anything else," he replied. "I just wish you'd recognized me sooner."

"I am surprised that you recognized _us_ so quickly," Kiska said with a shrug.

"You were just like I remembered you," Kodi responded politely.

Kemo chuckled. "That's a bit more than I can say for you. The last time we saw you, you were no bigger than this," he said, raising a paw a few inches off the ground.

Kodi started to laugh, but seeing the annoyed glances cast at him by a few other wolves, let his laughter trail off. He cleared his throat nervously.

Noticing his discomfort, Kiska decided to change topics. "You mentioned 'your team' earlier. Does this mean you are now, as they say, _lead dog_?"

"Yes. For a month now," Kodi said with a nod.

Kemo gave his nephew an appraising look. "Your father must be proud."

"Yeah. I suppose he kinda is," Kodi replied with a smile.

"So how are your parents these days? I have not seen them in two winters."

"Pretty much the same, I guess." Kodi looked guiltily out at the snowstorm. "Probably worrying about me."

Kiska nodded. "That is only to be expected."

"Better to worry now than grieve later," Kemo said in agreement. "But what of the others, your brothers and sisters?"

Kodi smiled. "They're doing fine as far as I know. Rush and Jenner are pulling sleds now, and Kala and Dingo are the pets of a couple kids in Nome."

"And what of Aleu?"

"She joined a group of wolves a year ago."

For the second time in a day, Kodi saw his uncle appear truly surprised. "Did she now?" Receiving a nod, Kemo laughed but was interrupted when a wolf Kodi recognized as Quinault approached and whispered something to the two wolves.

Kemo gave the other wolf an affirmative nod and turned to Kodi. "Some issues require our attention. We will return shortly." He and Kiska stood and moved further back into the den where several wolves were already gathered.

Kodi shook his head and looked outside again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a black and gray wolf doing the same. "Lousy weather, huh?" he said politely.

The wolf glared at him before turning back to watching the storm.

"That's okay. If you don't want to be bothered, I'll stop talking to you," Kodi continued. He tried hard to keep the sarcastic edge out of his voice but wasn't entirely successful. When the wolf made no response, Kodi went back to cleaning his wounds.

Suddenly, a snow covered wolf broke through the white wall outside and rushed into the den. Kodi was on his feet quickly, though a host of sharp twinges warned him not to do that again. As the snow was shaken off her body, Kanti stood there, muscles quivering with the cold.

The wolf whom Kodi had attempted to talk to hastily moved to her side. "Kanti!"

The scout shook her head. "Where is Kemo?"

The other wolf nodded toward the back of the cave.

In spite of the rough treatment he'd received from her, Kodi nevertheless knew the dangers of remaining out in this kind of weather for as long as she had. As she passed by, he intercepted her. "Are you alright?" he asked concernedly.

"Do not speak to me," she commanded, voice wavering only slightly from the cold. "Were you any other than Kemo's nephew, I would rip your throat out myself." Without breaking stride, she walked around him and moved toward the assembled wolf leaders.

He turned to watch as she passed him, a look of complete shock on his face. It wasn't that he was not accustomed to threats or insults. After all, he'd certainly already had more than his fair share that day alone. But never had he met a canine who would respond so caustically to an inquiry toward their health. "What's her problem?" he said to himself.

"That is what happens when one mixes the steadfast loyalty of Anvil Creek with the infamous stubbornness of Eagle Pass," a voice replied from behind him.

Kodi turned to look at the speaker and jumped in surprise. Standing behind him was the gray and white wolf who had foiled his escape earlier. "Look, I don't want a fight," Kodi began warily.

"Good," the wolf replied, moving a bit closer. "Neither do I."

Kodi watched suspiciously as the wolf approached and took a seat facing him. "What do you want then?"

"To talk," the gray wolf replied. "I am Chehalis, scout for Great Clan. I hope you do not bear me any hard feelings for me stopping you earlier. "I was returning from patrolling our northern borders when I saw you running. For all I knew, you could have been a threat. I did not know your true identity."

"Yeah, I've noticed that a lot around here," Kodi replied, slowly sitting.

"It is true, then? You are the son of Balto?"

Kodi nodded. "Yes."

Chehalis smiled slightly, a sight that Kodi was hardly used to in his present situation. "Ah. That explains everything then."

"Explains what?"

"How you were able to fight against so many and still live to tell the tale."

"I wouldn't be if my uncle hadn't stepped in. And how do you know my dad anyway?"

"I first met your father three years ago. He was widely known for his wisdom and courage, and his word was accepted as truth among many, both dogs and wolves."

"I see," Kodi replied, his astonishment evident in his voice. Apparently there was much more to the story than the modest tale his father had told him. "But that still wouldn't have done me any good if Kemo hadn't arrived in time."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong," Chehalis returned, shaking his head in disagreement. "That you survived long enough for your uncle to arrive is impressive in itself. That you were able to considering the difficult run Kanti likely forced you to do is nothing short of amazing."

Kodi frowned. "Yeah…Kanti. What's got a burr in her fur anyway? She's the most sadistic, ill-tempered canine I think I've ever met, aside from some of those Eagle Pass wolves."

Chehalis snorted in amusement. "Eagle Pass Clan may seem harsh, but they have changed much in the past two years. They often feel the pressures of…past mistakes."

"So what's her excuse?"

"Do not be too hard on Kanti. You have seen but one side of her; the one she reserves for enemies. She has a softer, gentler side as well."

Kodi raised an eyebrow skeptically. "She does?"

"Yes indeed, but my daughter does not show this side to many."

"Yeah, I've noticed. She…." Kodi's voice froze. "Your…daughter?"

The gray wolf nodded solemnly. "Yes."

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" Kodi stammered.

"Never apologize for an honestly given opinion," Chehalis interrupted. "Just be aware that there is often more to the story than you know. Tell me, why do you think Kanti acts as she does?"

Kodi shrugged. "I thought she just didn't like me."

Chehalis nodded. "What would you say if I told you that her mother died a year ago?"

Kodi frowned. "It affected her that badly?"

"Yes. Kanti has never come to terms with that. She harbors many bad feelings toward humans, and especially your kind."

"Why?"

"Because humans were responsible for her mother's death. She was killed by hunters. They had with them dogs trained in the art of tracking wolves. Anaba made the mistake of cornering herself. It was canine teeth, not a human bullet that killed her."

Kodi's jaw dropped. "I didn't know…"

"Nor did I expect you to."

"But if Kanti's your daughter, that means that it was your mate that was killed. Why aren't you angry?"

"I learned long ago that anger and hatred are things I cannot afford." Chehalis shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately Kanti has not. The only reason she spared your life is that she places the traditions of our clan above her own personal feelings." The wolf stood abruptly. "I just thought you deserved to know why she acts as she does, and I apologize for the way she has treated you."

Kodi shook his head. "Thanks, but it's not necessary. I guess if one of my parents had been killed, I'd be angry too."

Chehalis studied his face for a moment and nodded. "You are indeed as honorable as your father. As far as I am concerned, you are welcome here." With that, he turned and walked away.

"Is something wrong, Kodiak?"

Kodi turned and saw that Kemo and Kiska had returned. From his uncle's expression, he knew that he had been the topic of the discussion. He shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong here…though I could ask you the same thing."

Kemo shook his head. "You are exhausted. We can discuss such things after you have rested."

_That bad, huh?_ Kodi knew his uncle was right however, so rather than arguing the point, he nodded and laid his head on his paws. Looking out at the wind-driven snow, Kodi sighed. With any luck, the weather would clear tomorrow and he'd be able to leave. If not…well, better to think positively for now, he thought, allowing an uneasy sleep to overtake him.


	5. Push Comes to Shove

**Push Comes to Shove**

Kodi slowly opened his eyes and blinked at the dim light entering the cave. _Must be early morning._ Yawning, he rolled onto his belly and stretched. _A great beginning to a wonderfully… _He turned to look outside and his face fell. If anything, the blizzard had worsened. _Horrible, horrible day! _

"So much for going home," he grumbled to himself. "Can things get any worse?"

"I see you finally saw fit to wake up," a patronizing voice said from behind him.

Kodi closed his eyes. _Things just got worse._ Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile onto his face and turned to face Kanti. "Good morning to you too."

Kanti gazed disdainfully at him. "The day is half-spent. Kemo and Kiska wish to speak to you." With that she walked away.

Glowering after her, Kodi stuck his tongue out. He knew it might be rather puppyish, but doggone it! She was really starting to get on his nerves! Sighing, he looked around the den and spotted Kemo and Kiska toward the back of the cavern, obviously in a heated discussion with the black wolf he remembered as the leader of Eagle Pass Clan. Taking a deep breath, he forced his stiff muscles to carry him in that direction. Approaching cautiously, he began to make out the conversation.

"….and to invite him here after all that has happened will not be tolerated!" Dalag finished as Kodi walked within hearing.

"Are you quite finished?" Kemo asked coolly. When Dalag didn't respond, the white wolf continued. "I made the decision that he should stay until the snow subsides. We do things my way. We will be addressing the actions of your clan in these matters soon enough."

"You have only the word of one _dog_ that claims any wrongdoing. Who do you think the clans will believe?"

"That will be for the clans to decide, now won't it?"

With a growl, Dalag stormed away, glaring at Kodi as he passed. Sighing, Kemo turned his tired gaze to Kodi. "Greetings, Kodiak. I trust you slept well?"

"Well enough, I suppose," Kodi replied, watching as Dalag join the rest of his clan, several of them sending venomous looks in his direction. "I didn't know I was making such a stir."

Kiska shook her head. "Dalag's threats are but the winds trying to move the mountains. Pay them no heed."

Kodi nodded absently, still feeling as though he was not receiving the entire story. "So why did you want to see me?"

"Must an uncle need a reason to speak to his nephew?" Kemo asked. Seeing that Kodi wasn't buying into his half-hearted attempt at levity, the white wolf's smile slowly faded. "I need you to tell me everything you can remember about yesterday."

"Everything?"

Kemo nodded. "Everything. Spare no details."

Kodi's face became serious. "Why? What's wrong?"

His uncle and Kiska traded uncertain glances. Kiska finally spoke. "Nothing is _wrong_. The situation has become quite…fragile though. We simply must be sure of all the facts."

"Any information that you can give us would greatly help," Kemo agreed.

"Well…okay. Where do you want me to start?"

The two wolves sat facing him. "At the beginning," Kemo replied.

Taking a deep breath, Kodi began to relate the entire tale…

* * *

"And just when I thought my luck had completely run out, you showed up," Kodi finished. "You know the rest from there."

"But why did you run?" Kiska asked. "You knew you were injured, you were exhausted, but most importantly, you gave your word that you would not."

Kodi frowned. "I ran because I thought I was dead if I stayed."

Kemo's frown matched his nephew's. "Yes, but it also diminishes your credibility."

"Because I was trying to save my life?" Kodi asked incredulously. "I was supposed to just wait to die?"

"When it comes right down to it, yes," Kiska replied uncomfortably.

Kodi stared at her in shock. "What're you talking about? I thought you all were on my side here!"

Kemo sighed. "We _are_ on your side Kodiak."

"Then what's with the interrogation all of a sudden?"

"We simply must be sure of the truth," his uncle replied uncomfortably.

"I've told you the truth."

"We do not doubt your word, my nephew, but…" Kemo hesitated.

"But what?" Kodi glanced back and forth between the two wolves, who he noticed were unwilling to look him in his eyes. "What _aren't_ you telling me?"

Kiska was the first to speak. "Your presence here has placed us in a…_difficult _situation."

Kemo nodded slowly. "Ever since Great Clan was formed, tensions between the various clans have been present; hidden perhaps, but nevertheless always there. Your arrival has rekindled…old animosities among many."

"If I hadn't been _waylaid_, I wouldn't be here in the first place. In fact, I'd probably be home right now." Kodi looked at the ground. "This _isn't_ my fault."

"Please, Kodiak. Do not grow angry. I am not placing any blame on you. It is just that we fear for you."

As the full weight of that statement hit Kodi, he raised his eyes to look at his uncle. "What do you mean? I thought you said nothing was wrong."

"Nothing _is _wrong yet…"

"Then why are you worried?"

Kemo sat in silence for a moment. "I have said too much already. Just know that I am on your side."

As the white wolf walked away, Kodi stood to follow, but Kiska stopped him with a shake of her head and followed after her mate. Kodi wordlessly sat down. Something told him that trouble was brewing. His uncle knew it, Kiska knew it, and it seemed every wolf there knew it. In fact, it seemed that he was the only one there who did not know what was going on, and the wolves were not exactly forthcoming with information. He was beginning to feel like a prisoner again rather than a guest…not that the welcoming committee had been all that welcoming to begin with. He would have to be on his guard; of that much he was sure.

* * *

Kodi was now on the alert at all times now. He began to hear the whispers among the pack, and what he heard was not very comforting. It seemed that many of the wolves who had supported Kemo's decision yesterday were no longer as sure today. He saw no reason for the shift though. After all, he hadn't said or done anything to any of them. Yet there was no denying the negative undercurrent here. Yet as dusk fell once again with the wind howling a gale outside, he had neither seen nor heard anything aside from a few accusing looks in his direction and the occasional discontented whisper.

He lay down for the night, staring out into the storm once again, trying not to think about how hungry he was. The last time he had eaten was two days ago, and it hadn't been all that much, thanks to some wolf. Now with the weather as it was, it was impossible to even look for anything to eat. He curled up, feeling downright miserable. In fact, he could only remember being this miserable one time in his life, but that particular incident hadn't lasted nearly as long as his current situation.

"Quinault, may I speak with you?"

Kodi froze at the sound of the hushed voice and raised his ears to listen.

"Concerning what?"

"Concerning our leader's guest."

_That_ got Kodi's undivided attention.

"What about him?" Quinault asked guardedly.

"You know of what I speak," Kanti replied evenly. "You have felt it too. His presence here threatens to destroy us."

"Then why bring him here?" the other returned.

"My mistake," she replied without hesitation.

Silence fell between the two, and Kodi fought hard against the urge to look at them.

"What do you want, Kanti?" Quinault asked.

"The discontentment in your own clan should be evident to you. It is the same with all the rest. This matter will arise before the clan elders soon enough. When it does, you should side with those seeking to remedy the situation."

"Kemo will never allow such a decision to take place."

"Kemo will not have a choice if all the clans choose to press the issue."

Again, a moment of silence. This time, the temptation was too great for Kodi to bear and he slowly turned his head and looked at the two speakers. Quinault had stood and turned his back to Kanti, obviously deep in thought. At last he turned around.

"Two days past, I was forced to side against Kemo as our laws were clear then. I will not betray him in this fashion."

Kanti nodded slowly and stood. "I understand, Quinault. Do you think it pleases me to be discussing such matters without our leader's consent? I do so for one reason only."

"And that is?"

"I am loyal to Kemo, but my loyalty lies with the pack first and foremost. Now this outsider, this _enemy_, is tearing our entire pack apart. I cannot allow that to happen. Can you, or need I remind you that his kind killed my mother?"

Quinault faltered momentarily. "I will consider your words," he finally replied, his voice gruff.

Kanti nodded and walked away. Kodi turned his head again. It seemed that he had finally discovered the source of the undercurrent he'd been feeling. Now there was only one problem…what to do about it. He could make his uncle aware of the underhanded dealings afoot, but that could place Kemo and Kiska in an even more awkward position. That meant he had to do something himself. The only question was what…

* * *

After a long and sleepless night, Kodi rose stiffly. It must have been very early in the morning as very few wolves were awake at the moment. He sat in silence for several moments, still mulling over how to address the issue, but nothing seemed to be a viable option. He sighed, hoping that something would come to him as he turned his head to look outside.

Then quite suddenly, opportunity presented itself. He saw Kanti sitting rather close to the entrance, also watching the snow blow past. Without thinking, Kodi was suddenly on his feet and walking toward her. _Okay, I'm moving. And when I get there…then what? What am I supposed to say to her? I have no idea what to say! _

Kodi cleared his throat. "Um…excuse me?"

Kanti pinned him with a hard stare, but otherwise ignored him.

_Hmm…seems rather commonplace here. _"Um…excuse me. I'd like to speak to you."

"We have nothing to say to each other," she replied, walking away from him.

Kodi quickly stepped in her way. "Oh, I think we do."

Kanti stared at him unmoved. "Move out of my way."

"Not until we talk," Kodi replied stubbornly.

Kanti shook her head and began to walk around him.

"Unless of course you'd like to explain to my uncle why you're scheming behind his back…" Kodi continued nonchalantly.

Kanti froze and turned slowly to face him. "Do not pretend to threaten me, _Dog_. If you desire to fight, so be it. It is only out of respect for my leader that I have not killed you yet."

"I don't want to fight. I just want to talk," Kodi insisted. "I just want to know what I ever did to you, or any wolf for that matter, to makes you want me dead."

"The fact that you are breathing my air is reason enough to kill you."

"Hey, if anyone has a right to be angry here, it's me! I've been ambushed, chased, mauled, snubbed, and plotted against for the past few days. And you know what? I'm sick of it!"

The sound of raised voices had now roused several wolves who watched this encounter with mixed curiosity and concern.

Kanti's eyes narrowed. "Why are you here?"

"Why am I here? Why am I _here_? Why don't _you_ tell _me_?"

"I mean, why are you _still_ here?" she replied coldly. "Do you linger to watch our destruction?"

"That's right. I'm here because I hate wolves," he replied sarcastically before acting as though he'd had a sudden revelation. "Oh, wait! I've got an uncle who's a wolf, a father who's half-wolf, and I'm part wolf myself." He glared at her for a moment. "I don't want to be here any more than you want me here, so maybe if you'd get over yourself, you'd realize that you're not the only one with problems."

Kanti glared hotly at him. "You know _nothing_ of my problems. You are about to destroy my life as others of your kin did several years ago. I will see you dead before I see that happen again." She began to walk away from him again.

"Not all dogs are like the ones that killed Anaba," Kodi returned loud enough for her to hear.

Before he could react, he was slammed back against the rock wall. "How _dare_ you speak my mother's name!" Kanti hissed angrily.

Kodi pushed her back to give himself some space. "You know, Kanti, you've got quite a nasty temper," he remarked, eliciting a few chuckles from the few wolves close enough to overhear the exchange. "I'll tell you this though: you may hate humans and dogs too, but you're just as bad as the ones who took your mother's life."

Without warning, Kanti leapt at him. Kodi barely had time to dodge as she snapped, narrowly missing his throat. She landed, spinning instantly to face him with teeth bared and hackles raised. Kodi was careful to maintain a defensive posture as several wolves began to crowd around. Her impetuous attack left no doubt in his mind that she had no respect for him as a fighter. _Maybe I can use that to my advantage… _

_

* * *

_

Kemo awoke with a start to the sound of excited chattering near the entrance of the den. "What the…?"

Chehalis walked over to him. "What is all the commotion?"

Kemo shook his head as he gazed at the group of gathered wolves. "I'm not sure, but I am certainly going to find out."

As he stood, Kemo spotted one of the white wolves from the Ice Plains Clan running toward the gathering. "Naga! What is happening?" he called to the other wolf.

"A fight!" the wolf replied hurriedly, anxious not to miss the action.

"A fight?" Chehalis sighed. "I had a feeling it would come to that."

Kemo gazed evenly at the other wolf. "Who is fighting?"

"Kanti and the outsider!"

This caught the other three by surprise. "_What!_" they exclaimed in unison, but the other wolf had darted off before any more questions could be directed at him. Kemo hurried toward the disturbance, followed closely by Kiska and Chehalis. Just as Naga had said, Kanti and Kodi were circling each other within the ring of wolves. Kemo started to move forward to break up the confrontation, followed by Kiska.

"Stay!" Chehalis said suddenly, causing the other two to check their movement. "Let them be for now."

"Kanti is a trained fighter. Are you going to watch as your daughter tears him apart?" Kemo asked in disbelief.

Chehalis shook his head. "I do not believe it will come to that. Kodi is not in an aggressive stance, and neither is Kanti."

Kemo looked again and realized his scout was correct. Kodi was clearly in a defensive position, and despite her appearance, Kanti's stance was far too unbalanced. Still, it was obvious she was not playing around. "And if things do not work out as you think?"

"Then we step in. But not until then."

"I hope you are right," Kemo replied evenly.

Chehalis shrugged. "We will see."

Exchanging dubious glances, Kemo and Kiska settled back to uneasily wait for the outcome.

* * *

Kodi was neither aware nor concerned that his uncle might be observing this fight. Though he was aware that they had an audience, he was entirely focused on Kanti. Though her eyes remained fixed on him, they held an eager gleam that Kodi recognized as being rather self-assured. She _knew_ she was going to win this fight, and Kodi knew this to be her greatest weakness at the moment. _And one that could just help me out here… _He continued to back away from her, blocking most of her attacks and offering none himself. _Let her continue to think I do not know how to fight well. Let her come to me at the right moment…_He suddenly seemed to slip on some loose shale and several of the spectators stood up in anticipation while those in the back pushed forward to see the finale.

Kanti seized the moment and jumped at him…only to discover he was no longer there. She spun around and saw him standing motionless behind her, awaiting her next move. "Cute," she said with a snarl.

"Thanks for noticing," Kodi replied casually, not allowing himself to revel in this minor victory. He knew the battle was far from over, and he began to back away to give himself more space.

Kanti approached a bit more cautiously this time while Kodi continued to keep distance between himself and her…until suddenly, there was nowhere else for him to go as he suddenly had his back to the cave wall. He gave a quick glance behind him and turned a fearful expression to Kanti. She wasted no time in charging at him. There was no escape for him now.

Then, at the last possible second, he dove forward and ducked. Before she could react, she stumbled over his body and hit the rock head first. There was an audible gasp of surprise from all who had been watching. Kanti was their most skilled fighter and this dog had just taken her down. The air was thick with anticipation as those watching crowded a bit closer to see what would happen next.

Kodi was just as surprised as any of the wolves, but he did not allow it to show…at least not much. He slowly stood and walked over to Kanti who had her eyes squeezed shut, trying to force away the pain. "Does this mean I win?"

Kanti groaned and offered a slight nod.

"So what now?" he asked.

"Up to you," she replied tightly. "I hope you choose to kill me."

"Kill you?" Kodi shuddered at the thought. "How about some simple terms instead?"

Kanti closed her eyes again. "Name them."

"Well, how about first you say, 'Kodi, I'm sorry I've been causing lots problems for you, and I promise not to do it again. I was wrong'"

Kanti blinked in surprise. "And that's it?"

Kodi shrugged. "Well, that and you actually follow through with that."

Somehow she preferred death to the blow her pride was about to get. Taking a deep breath, she looked her opponent in the eyes. "Kodi, I am sorry I have caused you problems…"

"_Lots_ of problems," Kodi interrupted.

Kanti grimaced. "_Lots_ of problems," she grudgingly corrected. "I promise not to do it again. I was wr…" The last word caught in her throat. She took a deep breath. "I was wr…" She took another breath. "I was wrong," she finished, barely above a whisper.

Kodi tilted his head to the side. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I was wrong," she repeated a bit louder.

Kodi shook his head. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to speak up a bit…"

"I was _WRONG_!" She winced as the sound of her raised voice sent a sharp twinge through her head.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Kodi asked with a grin.

Kanti slowly sat up, still scowling. "Can you just go away and let me be? Oh, my head…"

"Can't hurt her that way," Chehalis said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear.

The tension suddenly seemed to evaporate as many wolves began to laugh at the remark. Kodi tried futilely to fight the urge, but he too started to chuckle.

Kanti glared at him. "That's not funny," she growled, shoving him back a few steps.

Kodi said nothing as he tried hard to stop laughing. Kanti shook her head and looked at him again. This time a slight grin crossed her face. She had to admit, if only to herself, that the situation _was_ a bit humorous. _Who would have expected a dog to beat me without even fighting?_ This dog had bested her, and she was mature enough to admit that. It appeared that there was more to this strange canine than she had thought.

Chehalis turned to Kemo and Kiska who both appeared relieved that the heated situation had now cooled. "I was right," he said simply.


	6. Second First Impressions

**Second First Impressions**

After the fight, the tension in the pack was still running high, but it had definitely mellowed in comparison to that of the previous days. Having spent a rather sleepless night, Kodi decided to take advantage of the lull in plots and threats to catch up on his sleep. Kanti had ceased the rabblerousing, and he began to think that the worst was over. With an exhausted sigh, he lay down and closed his eyes.

"I will speak with you."

Kodi sighed again; this time in mild annoyance. He didn't have to open his eyes to know who the speaker was. "If you want to schedule a rematch, you'll have to speak to my manager who is currently unavailable. Check back _tomorrow_."

Kanti shook her head. "I do not desire a fight."

Kodi opened his eyes and sat up. "In that case this must be serious…" he said with a yawn.

The wolf frowned. "I also do not desire sarcasm."

"And I don't desire to fight for my life one minute and then have my nap interrupted afterward," Kodi returned dryly.

He and Kanti stared at each other in silence for a moment. Finally she nodded. "I suppose I deserved that."

"I suppose you're right."

This time it was Kanti's turn to sigh in aggravation. "If you hate me so much, why did you let me live?"

"I let you live because there wasn't any reason to kill you. Besides, I don't hate you."

"Yet you just refused to speak with me."

"Maybe if you didn't make everything sound like an order and added a _please_ and _thank you_ to your _requests_, you might find that I respond much more receptively."

Kanti bit back a growl as she tried unsuccessfully to force a congenial tone into her voice. "Very well. _May_ I speak to you _please_?"

Kodi frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "No," he said simply as he started to lower his head again.

Kanti clenched her teeth, patience obviously wearing thin. "Why _not_?"

"Because I have other things to take care of," Kodi replied with a shrug.

"Like what, sleeping?" Kanti said accusingly.

"Maybe!" Kodi shot back. "Or maybe I have important things to talk to my uncle about."

"I doubt that. He is meeting with the other clan elders. That is what I wished to tell you before your rude response."

"That's never stopped you from saying what you wanted before," Kodi observed.

Kanti's eyes narrowed. "You have known me only three days. What gives you the right to speak as if you have known me for years?"

Kodi's expression matched hers. "You have known me only three days. What gives _you_ the right to think you're superior to me?"

"You may be a decent fighter, but you are rather stupid…even for a dog," Kanti scoffed.

"And you are rather snobbish…even for a wolf."

Kanti sent him a withering stare. "I may not have known _you_, but I have known of your kind my entire life."

"And how many have you met?"

Kanti hesitated. "One."

"Not including me," Kodi amended.

The wolf frowned. "None," she replied at last.

"So that means you've never gotten to know one on a personal level?"

"Correct, and I have no desire to," she replied quickly.

Kodi snorted. "You could still be nicer."

"So could you," Kanti countered, struggling to keep an angry scowl at bay.

"Hey, I'm the one who was viciously attacked!"

"You are the one who was stupid enough to back yourself against a rock!"

"And you're the one who was stupid enough to throw yourself into one, so I guess that makes us even!"

Kanti opened her mouth to say something else but closed it just as quickly. Her pride, not to mention her nose, was still smarting from _that_ one, but her look of embarrassment was quickly replaced by one of annoyed resignation. "What do you want from me?"

Kodi shrugged. "I could ask you the same question."

"Why do you answer every question with a question?"

"Why do you enjoy baiting me?" Kodi asked in return.

"It's not that at all," Kanti argued. "I'm just…" She broke off suddenly as if catching herself in the act of revealing too much.

Kodi looked at her inquisitively. "You're just…what?"

Kanti sat in silence for a moment. "How is it that you, a dog, are the nephew of a wolf?" she asked at last.

Kodi stared at her a moment, trying to anticipate every possible reason for her to ask such a question. Seeing that she seemed sincere in her curiosity, he suddenly got an idea. "I'll tell you that if you tell me why you don't like me."

"That is none of your concern. Besides, based on your earlier words, my father has obviously given you this information."

"He said your mother was killed, yes. But that doesn't explain why you hate me."

"You are a dog," she snapped, as though her words required no explanation.

"And you are a wolf," Kodi replied evenly. "What's the difference?"

"Dogs are crude, thoughtless slaves. They do as their human taskmasters command. They are uncivilized, untrustworthy, incapable of feeling and kill without a second thought."

"That's strange. I've heard that wolves are savage, vicious, skulking creatures who haunt the night seeking to bathe in the blood of helpless victims."

"Those are lies!"

"So I've discovered," Kodi said pointedly.

Kanti glared at him. "What I know of your kind is _not _wrong."

Kodi rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Okay, let me break this down for you. First of all, most of us aren't slaves to humans. They scratch our backs, we scratch theirs. Secondly, being 'civilized' is a matter of perspective. Most of us place wolves in the uncivilized category. Thirdly, if I was 'crude, uncivilized, incapable of feeling,' and 'killed without a second thought,' you would be dead, I would be gone, and we wouldn't be having this discussion."

Kanti frowned. "Dogs are still untrustworthy as you yourself proved by attempting to escape. Why should I believe you?"

"You've done nothing but abuse, threaten, and plot against me since _your_ lackies attacked me and _you_ brought me here!"

"At least I did not flee from danger like a coward."

"So you are telling me that if you had been battered and mistreated and suddenly found yourself outnumbered and expecting more of the same, you would have stayed put?"

"Yes!" Kanti snapped.

Kodi's expression became smug. "And you honestly expect me to believe _that_?"

Kanti threw out her chest in indignation. "It is the truth."

"And you say _dogs_ are stupid…" Kodi snorted.

The wolf stood abruptly. "I should have killed you when I had the chance!"

"You could have tried," Kodi replied with a shrug.

"I would have succeeded!" she snapped in return.

Chehalis had silently been watching this exchange from a distance. The clan elders were still conferring, and while he was eager to return to the discussion, he had volunteered to deliver a message. Deciding it best to end the bloodshed before it began, he quickly walked forward. "Kodiak, Kanti. I hope I am not interrupting anything."

Kodi was the first to respond. "Not at all," he said, turning his gaze from Kanti to her father.

Chehalis' eyes shifted between the two, obviously not believing this. At last, they settled on Kodi. "The council has finished discussing your situation. It took some…_persuasion_, but everyone, including Eagle Pass Clan, has decided that all the incidents involving you were not your doing. Is this not excellent news, Kanti?"

Kanti's face remained void of any visible emotion. "Good news indeed, Father," she replied in a terse voice.

Chehalis noted this quietly, eyes not leaving Kodi. "The presence of a rogue concerns us greatly. Do not be surprised if they ask you for your account once again."

Kanti shook her head. "Perhaps after that, they can move on to more pressing matters."

"You were also a topic of conversation," Chehalis continued, looking at his daughter.

She frowned. "Oh?"

"You violated a direct order by attacking Kemo's nephew," he stated evenly. "They were deciding how best to handle this incident."

Kanti straightened. "What was their decision?"

"You shall remain by the side of this outsider for the remainder of his stay with us."

He turned around and walked away with Kanti and Kodi staring after him in utter shock. Kemo had made no such decision regarding his daughter, but he had no doubt that the alpha would support this move without question. After all, despite the council's decision, Kemo's nephew was still not popular with the majority of the wolves, and this might be just the key to further diffusing an otherwise explosive situation.

"What did I do to deserve this?"

Kanti and Kodi looked sharply at each other as they uttered the same phrase at the exact same time. Their surprised expressions faded as they exchanged wary glances. This was not going to be pleasant…

* * *

After the first five minutes of staring at each other and saying nothing, Kodi decided to walk over to the mouth of the cave for a change of scenery…if millions of tiny snowflakes speeding across his view could be considered scenery. There was no doubt in his mind that back in Nome, his parents and his team were doing the same thing and fretting over his disappearance. While it pained him to think of his friends and family worrying needlessly, it was still comforting to know he would not be forgotten. With a forlorn sigh, he turned to find himself nose-to-nose with Kanti.

"Why do you stare out at the snow? Doing so will not end the storm," she said pointedly.

Kodi rolled his eyes. "You are a master of the obvious. What are you doing here?"

"I am following orders," she replied, a grin teasing the corners of her mouth.

"You're being a pest," Kodi stated bluntly, preparing to walk away.

"You have…much family?" Kanti asked suddenly.

Kodi stopped short and looked at her in astonishment. This was the first marginally civil thing she had said to him. He nodded at last. "Yes. My parents and brothers and sisters. And I guess my team is a kind of family too." He grew suspicious at her suddenly amiable manner. "Why do you ask?"

"Since it appears we will be spending much time together, I thought I would make the best of my situation…" She hesitated a moment. "To learn more about my enemy, that is…"

"I knew it," Kodi remarked dryly. "You can't go five minutes without a disparaging remark…"

"Neither can you!" Kanti shot back.

"At least I'm making an effort!"

"So am I!"

Exasperated, Kodi threw his head back. "I don't have to put up with this…"

"I am trying!" Kanti said. "It is just rather difficult for me to hold a conversation with a dog, and one grumpier than a grizzly after hibernation at that!"

"And it's difficult for me to not be grumpy when you've got a personality pricklier than an angry porcupine!"

"I do not!" she returned in a hurt tone. She fell silent for a few seconds. "Do I?"

Kodi sighed. "Look, you are right that we're going to have to make the best of this. So if you're really up for a decent conversation, then how about we start over?"

Kanti's face twisted in confusion. "What? How is that possible?"

Kodi stood. "I'm Kodiak, son of Balto and Jenna." When he received no response, he cleared his throat. "And you are…?"

"You already know who I am," Kanti replied.

Kodi rolled his eyes. "Come on, just play along for a minute. "I'm Kodiak, son of Balto and Jenna. And you are…?"

Kanti continued to stare reservedly at him, but she at last responded. "I am Kanti, daughter of Chehalis and Anaba."

Kodi looked outside and then back at the wolf. "Looks like it's going to keep snowing today."

The wolf looked outside and then at him as though he'd lost his mind. "What does this have to do with anything? I can see the weather for myself."

Kodi sighed. "It doesn't have to do with anything. Look, this is what we dogs call _small talk_. We chat about random, unimportant things and let these small things lead us to things we both want to talk about. It's called the _art of_ _conversation_."

Kanti held her head up proudly. "There is no need to lecture me as though I am a small puppy," she said airily. "I am familiar with _conversation_, but wolves speak of important issues rather than this _small talk_ of yours."

"Fine, the floor is yours," Kodi replied.

Kanti's expression turned into one of confusion again. "What do you mean? Is this more of your small talk?"

"No, it means you can start the conversation."

"What does this have to do with floor?"

"It's just an expression we use sometimes…"

"It makes as much sense as talking about the weather."

"Fine, just start the conversation," Kodi said in annoyance.

Kanti thought for several moments, trying to decide on a topic and rejecting each one as they came to mind. Finally, she sighed resignedly. "The weather is bad, is it not?"

Kodi forced himself to keep a straight face as he nodded and looked outside. "Yes it is. Luckily your clan is sheltered here."

"Does your kin lack shelter?"

"No, they stay with…" Kodi stopped himself from mentioning humans. "They stay out of the blizzards," he replied instead. "Even the mail team does not run in weather like this."

"Yet you still worry for your family?"

Kodi shrugged. "I just know they're worried sick about me."

"Why? Do they doubt your ability to survive?"

"No, I…" Kodi stopped the sharp retort that was forming in his mind as he realized her question had been asked in all seriousness, and her voice had lacked its usual, mocking tone. "At least I don't think so," he quickly amended. "What makes you ask something like that?"

Kanti shrugged ever so slightly. "I was the runt of the litter, smaller and weaker than all my brothers and sisters. Everyone doubted I would survive two days, much less two years."

She spoke casually, but Kodi could see the pain in her eyes as she said this. "I know what you mean," he said, mostly to himself.

The wolf snorted. "You could not possibly understand."

Kodi shook his head. "You might be surprised. I was the slowest and weakest of my brothers and sisters too."

"Really," Kanti said, her voice brimming with incredulity.

"I'm serious! My parents stayed almost as worried about me as they did my sister…"

"Your sister?"

Kodi nodded. "Aleu. She sorta looked…"

"Like a wolf," Kanti finished for him. Seeing his puzzled expression, she shrugged. "Your uncle mentioned that name from time to time. She had encountered my father's clan while she was still very young."

Kodi's mouth dropped. He had of course heard Aleu's story of encountering a wolf pack, yes, but he had always thought it the product of his sister's overactive imagination. He had never thought to inquire any deeper into it. "You mean that night she got lost in a snowstorm? When she…"

"Was found by the clans of my mother and father…"

"Which were rivals at that time!" Kodi finished. "Then it is all true!"

Kanti offered a tiny smile, the first he had ever seen on her face. "That it is. Stories of your sister's courage and strength were the subject of many tales among the youngsters of Great Clan."

Kodi shook his head. "And to think my brothers and sister just remembered that as the only time one of us disobeyed our parents and got away scot-free…"

Her efforts to maintain her bearing were nothing short of heroic, but Kanti was nevertheless unable to hide the amused grin that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You still have yet to answer my earlier question," she said, abruptly changing the subject.

"What question?"

"How it is that a dog is the nephew of a wolf?"

"I guess I didn't tell you that, did I?"

"Why else would I ask?"

"It is a long story…"

Kanti shrugged. "Long stories are for long winter nights."

"You sure you are interested?"

She nodded.

Kodi frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, I don't know all the details myself, but I guess there's no harm in telling you what I do know. It all started several years ago in my uncle's former pack…"

"We prefer _clan_," Kanti interrupted.

Kodi stopped in confusion. "Huh?"

"We prefer _clan_," Kanti repeated. "_Pack_ makes us sound like mindless rabble."

Kodi shook his head and continued. "Kemo's father was the leader of that pa…_clan_," he hastily corrected himself.

Kanti nodded in approval and motioned for him to continue.

"He had a sister…a white wolf named Aniu. One day, a husky stumbled across this pack, starving and injured. I guess he must've been a sled dog that got separated from his team. He asked for help, but Kemo's father had him driven away."

"Understandable," Kanti remarked. "He was an outsider, and one that served humans. A danger."

Kodi frowned at the blithe way in which she said this, but nevertheless resumed the tale. "Well, whatever the rest of them thought, Aniu still felt sorry for him and secretly followed him. During the next few weeks, she secretly brought him food and kept him company. In time, they fell in love and had a litter of pups..."

"That was not received well by Aniu's pack?" Kanti guessed.

Kodi shook his head. "Kemo's father was so angry about this that he told his own sister to leave and never return. Aniu fled into hiding with her mate. After the pups were born, food grew scarce. Then one day, my dad's father went to hunt but vanished without a trace. With no other choice, Aniu brought her family before her brother to plead once again. I don't know what was said or done, but they were allowed to stay."

"But something happened to change this?"

"I don't know what happened exactly, but something forced my grandmother to flee with Dad. Something was hot on their trail, and rather than risk the life of her son, she hid him and ran away…I guess with the intention of circling back for him. My dad never saw her again."

"It is a terrible thing for a pup to lose their mother," Kanti remarked softly.

Kodi nodded. "Agreed. Dad almost didn't survive on his own, but then he was found by Uncle Boris…"

"A dog?"

"A goose," Kodi answered, ignoring the look of confusion on her face at this revelation. "Anyway, Uncle Boris sorta took my dad under his wing. He took him to the town I'm from, knowing it would be easier to survive there. So that's how my dad came to Nome," Kodi finished. "After that, he met my mom, and…well...here I am."

As she listened to the completion of the story, Kanti blinked in amazement but quickly masked her features again. "A good tale," she said finally. "A bit coarse by wolf standards, and shoddily ended, but otherwise told well enough…" Before he could form a suitable comeback, she continued. "So you spoke true when you claimed to be part wolf?"

Kodi hesitated. "You thought I didn't?"

Kanti shrugged. "Dogs cannot be…"

"Trusted, I know, I know," Kodi finished for her, rolling his eyes. "So how do you know I am telling the truth now?"

"The way you told the story."

"Pardon?"

"Your style may have been rough around the edges, but it was still very similar to our own way of telling stories. I suppose you likely learned this from your father, who must have learned it from his mother."

Unsure of how to take this double-edged comment, Kodi frowned. "So does this mean wolf-dogs can be trusted?

"More so than dogs," Kanti replied.

"That's not saying much," Kodi observed.

"No, it is not. But it is enough."

Kodi cocked his head. "Enough for what?"

"For me to give your words _some_ credibility."

"That's not saying much either," Kodi replied dryly.

Despite efforts to maintain her bearing, Kanti soon surrendered to the urge and burst into laughter at this statement, startling several nearby wolves with the unexpected sound. Kodi's own face broke into a lopsided grin that mirrored the one his father was known for. She was quite an interesting canine, that much was certain; idealistic, intelligent, and not one for backing down, yet she obviously had a soft spot as well. She was certainly…but it did not matter. She would have nothing to do with him, he silently reminded himself. She had made it quite clear that she neither liked dogs nor his presence. She was only here because she was told she must be. Yet as he studied her, he saw that Chehalis had been right about her. And what he was seeing right now he found to be quite beautiful…

Kanti quickly brought herself under control, feeling a bit uncomfortable after her sudden outburst of mirth. Despite his naiveté and his mixed heritage, Kanti was beginning to find this newcomer quite fascinating. Not only was he strong and cunning, but he was quite charming in his own way, and not bad looking for a dog…

She quickly reigned in those thoughts before they could progress too far. It was not possible, and even if it was, it was _not_ acceptable…not among her kin, and certainly not among his. Besides, whatever attraction she might have toward him would not be returned; she had tried to kill him earlier after all. In fact, he probably saw her as a cold-blooded monster. Or did he?

Both realizing the other was staring, they quickly averted their gazes, suddenly seeming to find the most mundane of things to be interesting.

As the silence began to wear on them, Kodi suddenly spoke up. "So will you tell me a bit more about your life growing up?"

Kanti shrugged. "Only if you do likewise."

Kodi grinned broadly again. "Very well. As one runt to another, I accept…"

The two continued long into the night, trading stories, laughter, and the more-than-occasional jibe. At last, at the insistent suggestion of several sleepy wolves, Kanti walked away to join her clan. As he watched her leave, Kodi's eyelids slowly closed and he allowed himself to drift into the first peaceful sleep he had experienced in almost week.


	7. Going Home

I'd like to thank everyone for being so patient with me while waiting for this chapter. I hope it was worth it. I'd also like to give special thanks to Ninetalesuk and KITT40146 for all the wonderful help they've given me. I'd especially like to thank you, my readers, for gracing me with your audience. Please be sure to review and let me know what you think.

**Going Home**

Taking special care not to awaken Jenna, Balto slipped quietly out of the house as soon as he saw the wind beginning to subside. He knew she would have insisted on joining his search, and while he knew she had every right to do so, he also knew the fate that usually awaited those who vanished along the trail. He was not sure how he himself would react to finding their son in such a state. Although it was not yet dawn, he hurried through Nome with a sense of urgency. The sooner he found what he was looking for, the better. He was fairly certain that he would make it far enough to begin an effective search, but it was difficult to muster any optimism. Kodi had been gone for almost a week, and his trail was by this time cold in more ways than one. He hoped the same would not be said for Kodi. It was times like these that he missed having a local wolf pack to contact. They were generally aware of all that happened in their domain. _No use wishing for what I can't have… _

"Balto! Where are you off to?" a voice asked from the porch of one of the outlying homes.

Balto jumped at the unexpected voice. He skidded to a halt and looked over to see a white wolf-dog almost blending in with the newly fallen snow. "Sorry, Kavik, can't talk now."

"You're searching for Kodi?"

Balto nodded and started to move away. "I'll let you know when I return…"

"Oh, no you don't." Kavik quickly caught up with his friend and matched his pace. "If you think you're going off alone, you have another thing coming."

"Kavik, I don't even know what I'm going to find even if I do manage to locate him…"

The white wolf-dog remained undeterred. "All the more reason to have a friend with you. We're wasting time. Two will search quicker than one."

Balto cracked a tiny smile and nodded appreciatively. "Thanks. Okay then, let's…"

"Three will search quicker than two," another voice called out.

Balto turned and saw Jenna rushing to join them. "Jenna…"

Jenna gave him a tight grin. "You didn't think you could sneak off at daybreak without me, did you?"

Balto shook his head in denial. "It's not like that at all. Chances are that Kodi just hunkered down somewhere to weather out the storm and is safe and sound. But there's also a chance that he's not…"

"I know," Jenna said with a pained look in her eyes. "But Kodi is _our_ son. I can't stay at home not knowing. I can't _bear_ to do that again."

Her words were not entirely lost on her mate. When he had gone to search for Aleu, he had asked her to stay behind. He could not fathom the anxiety she had felt when what should have been a short search and rescue mission turned into a long journey. She had never criticized him for his decisions, but he knew she had spent many sleepless nights worrying about him and their daughter. He offered her an apologetic smile. "You can run with me anytime, Jenna. You know that."

Jenna gave a small nod. "So what's our plan?" she asked, getting down to business.

Balto thought for a moment. "I say we start by backtracking along the mail's usual route. We'll cover more ground if we split up when we reach the last place he was seen…"

* * *

"Kodiak."

Kodi grunted in protest. After a long night talking to Kanti, all he wanted now was to drift back to sleep and reenter the pleasant dream from which he'd been interrupted.

He felt his uncle's large paw nudge his shoulder. "Kodiak. You must wake up."

His eyelids snapped open at his uncle's voice, only for him to immediately shut them again with a loud groan as the bright light hit them. Before his uncle nudged him again, something suddenly clicked in his mind. _Light? But that's impossible unless_… His eyes shot open and were again assaulted by the early morning sunlight streaming into the cavern. He immediately scrambled to his feet and ran to the entrance, only to be blinded by the immaculate white landscape before him. He blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the intensity of the reflecting sunlight.

Kemo walked over to stand beside his nephew. "The snow ended before dawn. If you wish to return to your home and family, you must leave now. It is a long journey."

Kodi shook his head as though just waking up. "Return home?"

"Yes. This is your only certain chance." Kemo studied the smaller canine. "You do not seem pleased."

"Oh it's not that," Kodi said hurriedly, forcing a feeble smile onto his face. "It's just that I wasn't expecting I would be going home so soon…"

Kemo was clearly unconvinced, but before he could say something, another voice spoke up. "You are leaving?"

The two turned as Kanti approached them. Kodi gave a reluctant nod. "Yeah…the storm has let up, and everyone back home is probably out looking for me."

"I see."

"This might be my only chance before another storm comes," Kodi explained

"I understand," she said stoically.

Kemo glanced back and forth between the two during this exchange, not quite sure what to make of their sudden change of behavior. When Chehalis had proposed the idea of forcing the two to spend time together, Kemo had agreed that it could ease the tensions in the pack. But this? This was not something he had anticipated. Not in the least…

"You leave now?" Kanti asked.

Kodi nodded. "It's a long journey."

"Kemo. We will speak now," Dalag demanded, boldly striding forward. Three others stood behind him. Kodi quickly recognized them as the three that had attacked him several days ago.

The white wolf turned to look the clan leader as Kiska, Chehalis, and a few other wolves took notice and joined him. "Your concerns were voiced last night, Dalag. It was the clans that decided, not me."

"You were quick enough to defy the will of the clans to help this _dog_!"

"And rightfully so, as it was decided," Chehalis remarked calmly.

"Your daughter is guilty of the same offense. Kemo holds one set of rules for Anvil Creek Clan and another set for the rest of us, just as he always has!"

"What are they talking about?" Kodi whispered to Kanti.

"Chinook, Naskapi, and Akla disobeyed many rules by assaulting you," she whispered back. "They have lost their status because of this. Dalag is angry because I did not."

"Why not?" Kodi asked.

"I am the daughter of one of your uncle's closest advisors."

"But why is this loss of status so bad? I mean, on a mail team, you just get moved further back in line…"

"It means that they will be given the most menial tasks. When patrols are selected, they will be left behind. When others hunt, they will tend to the pups. They will have few ways to regain their honor."

Kodi nodded and returned his attention to the conversation.

"You single out those of my clan for unfair treatment!" Dalag accused.

"I single out no one," Kemo replied. "All of the clans agreed on this. The young wolves you speak of are lucky they did not receive worse…"

"If you will not change your decision, I demand that the daughter of your scout be subject to the same!"

Kodi heard Kanti's breath catch beside him. He saw his uncle tense, obviously about to make a decision he did not wish to make. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Um…about that. Can I say something?"

Everyone turned to look at him. Kemo nodded. "Speak."

"Well, since I'm the one who was attacked, wouldn't it be fair if I had some say in what happens to those responsible? I mean, that is the way things work where I come from…"

Seeing many heads nodding in agreement, Kemo nodded as well. "That is true. Speak your mind."

Kodi frowned. "Well, seeing as how I did sort of antagonize Kanti into a conflict, I think that her having to put up with being around me is punishment enough…at least that's what my sisters used to say."

This received some muted laughter from several of the wolves. Kemo himself was barely able to maintain a straight face. "And what of Akla, Chinook, and Naskapi?"

Kodi pursed his lips. "Well, I agree with your decision for them..."

"This is an outrage…!" Dalag started.

Kodi cleared his throat pointedly, cutting Dalag's tirade short. "But I don't think it should be permanent. I mean, as far as I can tell, I wasn't hurt too badly. Maybe a month?"

Kemo was surprised at this unexpected display of mercy. Were he in his nephew's place, he would have gone for blood. "This is a strange request. It is unlike anything we have ever done in this clan before." He looked over at Dalag, as did everyone else.

Dalag knew that to argue this would no doubt appear unreasonable. With a low growl, he nodded at last. "Very well." He spun and stormed away. The others of Eagle Pass Clan hesitated only a moment before following suit.

As the crowd began to disperse, Kemo nodded at his nephew. "Thank you, Kodiak. Your saved me a difficult choice in an embarrassing situation. I am pleased to see a bit of your father's wisdom in you. It saddens me that you must depart so soon."

Kodi frowned. "How am I supposed to get back home anyway? I don't even know where I am."

"I will provide a guide for you," Kemo replied. "Chehalis knows this territory well…"

"I will go," Kanti said suddenly.

Kemo arched an eyebrow at the unusual breach of protocol. "And why you, Kanti?" he asked.

"Because my father will be better employed finding food for our clan. We have not hunted since the start of the blizzard, and he is better at tracking game than me. I have explored the entire area between here and Anvil Creek and am the best prepared to take such a mission," she replied quick and businesslike.

Kemo's amused expression remained. Her claim to be the best prepared was not entirely untrue…nor was it entirely true either. There were dozens of wolves in the clan who had been as far as Anvil Creek. Nevertheless, he turned to Kodi. "Does this arrangement suit you?"

"Um…yeah…I…uh…yes," Kodi stammered. "Yes of course."

With a wry grin tugging the corners of his mouth, Kemo bowed to Kodi. "Farewell, Nephew. You are welcome here should you desire to return."

"Thanks for everything, Uncle Kemo." Kodi executed a somewhat less-graceful bow in return before turning and walking outside.

As Kanti turned to follow him, Kemo stopped her. "Be careful," he warned. "What you are doing is dangerous."

Knowing he referred to more than human hunters and traps, she nodded and hurried away.

Kodi was waiting for her when she arrived and took the lead. "What was that all about?" he asked.

She looked over at him. "What, Kemo? He just wanted to…remind me of a few things."

"Like what?" Kodi asked.

"Just to be safe," Kanti replied quickly, if not especially convincingly. "He worries almost as much as my own father."

Kodi shrugged. "It's nice to know you have someone that cares about you though.

Kanti offered no response other than a noncommittal grunt.

Glancing over at her, Kodi saw her intently focusing on navigating the winding glacial valley. With a sigh, he followed her example and said nothing. The two walked in silence for several minutes.

"That was a very noble thing you did," Kanti said in a low voice.

Kodi looked at her, a bewildered expression on his face. "Huh?"

"The way you defended me before Kemo and my family. The way you kept me from being forever dishonored."

"Ah, it was nothing…" Kodi said dismissively.

"Nothing is nothing," Kanti insisted. "It was still a very noble thing to do. And brave. You are the only dog I know who would dare speak in matters such as these…"

"Kanti, I'm the only dog you know," Kodi interjected.

Kanti remained unmoved. "Most would not have spoken. Especially after the way I treated you since we met, you had every right to allow me to be struck down and place untold humiliation upon my family. You risked yourself for an enemy…"

"You're _not_ my enemy," Kodi protested. "Sure, we got off to a rough start, but after I got to know you a bit, you weren't all that bad. Why, I'd even say we're friends of sorts."

Kanti looked over at him. "You consider me a friend?"

Kodi nodded timidly. "That's why it wasn't a big deal."

"But you also spoke for Akla, Chinook and Naskapi, and they are the ones who attacked you."

"Everyone deserves a second chance." Kodi shrugged. "I just figured that I'd do more good by showing them we dogs aren't as bad as they think we are."

Kanti nodded haltingly, not quite understanding this way of thinking. "Nevertheless, I thank you," she replied quickly.

"I…uh…guess you're welcome," Kodi replied.

The two fell into an awkward silence once again as they crossed the ice-plain and reentered the coniferous forest. Passing tree by monotonous tree, the journey seemed to be taking much longer than it was in actuality.

By this time, the silence had begun to grate on Kodi's nerves. "Are you angry about something?" he asked.

Kanti looked back. "Angry? No. Why do you ask?"

Kodi shrugged. "You're just so quiet…"

"Wolves usually travel in silence, especially when not in large groups. It is safer," she replied.

"I always thought that to be a wolf was safe enough."

Kanti shook her head. "No. Without a clan, a wolf is as vulnerable as the caribou we hunt. Even with a clan, life is difficult, as we must fight for our survival. There are attacks from humans and rival clans. There is hunger…"

"Hunger?" Kodi frowned thoughtfully. "I was always under the impression that wolves feasted off the land."

Kanti shook her head again. "We do when there is a successful hunt, but most hunts end in failure. We never know when or where our next meal will come. It is a part of life, and we have come to accept it as such."

Kodi seemed genuinely surprised by this. "Wow. And my team complains when we go on half-rations."

Kanti snorted and shouldered him a bit. "I knew you dogs were soft," she teased.

"We're not soft," Kodi retorted, shouldering her back. "We're just refined is all."

"In other words you are soft."

Kodi chuckled at this. "Whatever. So where did we leave off last night?"

* * *

The two continued to chat back and forth as they journeyed, despite Kanti's almost instinctive desire to remain silent. The topic was unimportant, as long as the conversation continued. All too soon, Kodi began to recognize landmarks that he used to guide his team on their mail runs. Kanti also knew he was in familiar territory from the way his eyes began to wander as they spoke. Neither mentioned this fact to the other, both trying to extend their time together a bit more. Finally Anvil Creek came into view and they stopped on a low knoll overlooking the frozen stream. They stood there for several long moments knowing well that Anvil Creek marked the point where they must leave the other's company.

"There is Anvil Creek," Kanti said at last.

Kodi nodded slowly "There it is…" he echoed.

"Your home. It is not far, then?"

"Not far at all," Kodi responded softly.

Both breathed a deep sigh simultaneously, but neither moved from the spot. Finally, Kodi sighed again and began to reluctantly walk away.

"I suppose we will be separated forever," Kanti said suddenly.

Kodi turned around, shocked at the note of sadness within her voice. "Why?"

"You return to your world. I must return to mine." Kanti lowered her eyes unhappily. "We will be separated forever. I do not want that."

Kodi walked back to her, relieved to find that his feelings were reciprocated. "I don't want that either," he said gently. "So let's not let it happen!"

Kanti shook her head. "Our paths will not cross again. You know this."

"They can if we make them."

Kanti looked up, shaking her head. "Do not joke. You know it is not possible…"

"Anything is possible," Kodi replied earnestly.

Her curiosity peaked, Kanti tilted her head a bit. "How?"

"Well…" Kodi frowned as he hastily assembled a plan of action in his mind. "We could start by setting up a meeting place that both of us can find." Kodi walked over to a large rock that towered above the newly-fallen snow and propped his forepaws against it. "Like here."

Kanti smiled a bit at his enthusiasm, unrealistic though it may be. "Yet I have duties to my clan, and you will resume carrying the humans' burdens. We will never be here at the same time."

Kodi hopped down from the rock and returned to her side. "But that's part of the plan, if you follow me. See, I only have three mail runs a week on the second and fourth weeks each month and four runs a week on the first and third, unless it's the holiday season, and then I have five runs every week. So all we have to do is come up with a time when we're both free and we come here. It's that simple!"

_Simple?_ Blinking in confusion, Kanti tried to sort out the speedily-explained proposition and timetable. Giving up on this, she decided to take her best guess at what he was trying to say. "So…we meet this week perhaps? Maybe six days…"

"Five days," Kodi corrected.

"Five days," Kanti agreed, a shy smile teasing her features.

"Five days," Kodi repeated, a grin tugging at his mouth as well. "Two hours before high noon?"

Kanti nodded. "Very well."

Kodi smiled broadly as he began to walk away, still looking at her. "Right. I'll see you here in five oops!" He stopped himself just before he walked into the rock that marked the designated meeting place. He looked back at her, chuckling with embarrassment. "Heh…rock there. Um…I'll…uh… see you later." He dashed off toward Nome.

Kanti watched as the forest swallowed him from her sight. At last, the smile that had been pulling at the corners of her mouth manifested itself as she leaped straight up and spun around before landing again. Still grinning broadly, she sprinted back toward her clan repressing the urge to release a joyful howl all the while.

* * *

"I must've sounded really stupid," Kodi said to himself as he approached the last bend in the trail. From this point forward, it was a straight shot to Nome, but in spite of his desire to return home, his mind continued to wander back to his discussion with Kanti. "And to top it off, I had to run off without watching where I was go…ING!" He dug his paws into the powdery snow to avoid a head-on collision with another canine sprinting in the opposite direction.

Both were almost sitting by the time they finally slid to a halt nose to nose. Breathing hard, Kodi opened his eyes. His breath caught in his throat as he and the other canine stared at each other.

Balto appeared just as shocked at the unexpected appearance of his son. After a long moment, he finally broke the silence. "You're late."

Kodi blinked in surprise. "D…Dad? Is it really you?"

Balto's face broke into a relieved smile. "Welcome home, Kodi." He threw back his head and howled.

Jenna came sprinting from the far side of the trail in a moment's notice. Seeing the reason for Balto's call, she quickened her pace further and stopped beside her son. "Oh Kodi! You're safe!" she cried, licking his face repeatedly.

Kodi placed her head against hers, feeling a bit awkward at the moment. "I'm fine, Mom. Really."

When Kavik appeared a few minutes later atop the ridge that ran along the trail, Jenna was still nuzzling Kodi and Balto was standing close by looking very relieved. "Well, that was quick work." He edged down the side of the gully and jumped the last six feet and joined them. "So the prodigal son returns." He gave Kodi a quick once-over. "And none the worse for wear it appears," he added with a wink.

Further embarrassed, Kodi offered a tiny shrug. "Hi, Uncle Kavik."

Kavik grinned. "Hello yourself."

Balto shook his head in amusement as he looked at Kodi. "Well, what do you say to a warm meal and a warm bed?"

Kodi smiled tiredly at him. "I say what are we waiting for?"

* * *

Dusty's eyes snapped open. She did not remember falling asleep at the window in the old mill, but the sunlight told her two things: it was almost midmorning and the blizzard had ended some time ago. _Kodi!_

"Guys! Wake up!" she called out, hopping down from her perch.

She received four sleepy moans in reply. "What's the matter with you, Dusty?" Kirby groaned.

"The storm's over, that's what!"

Ralph cracked an eye open. "So?"

"So? We should've been out looking for Kodi hours ago!"

Kip rolled onto his belly and slowly stood up. "Right with you, Dusty," he said with a yawn. Nova arose wordlessly and stood beside him.

Kirby sat up and stretched. "What are the chances of Kodi surviving a blizzard? Look at what happened to Balto when he was out in it for five hours. Kodi was out there for five days!"

"Not very good while we're sitting around here," Dusty declared. "What's your point?"

Kirby shook his head. "Look, Dusty. The chances of anyone surviving the first day are slim to none. Anything past the first day and slim just walked out the door."

Dusty pinned him with an angry glare. "How can you say that, Kirby? Kodi is…"

"Our leader. We all miss him, but let's be realistic. He's not coming back," Kirby replied, clearly stating the last four words.

"I wouldn't say that," a voice said from the doorway.

Kirby kept his eyes locked on Dusty as he answered the newcomer. "And what would you know? You're just…" He suddenly hesitated and snapped his head toward the door.

"Kodi!" Kip exclaimed.

Everyone turned in astonishment to see Balto and Jenna standing just inside with Kodi between them. All three looked quite amused.

Dusty excitedly rushed over to Kodi, almost bowling him over. "We thought you were dead! I was so worried that…"

Kodi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You were worried about me?"

Noticing the odd looks she was receiving from teammates and Kodi's parents, Dusty frowned before shouldering Kodi roughly and almost knocking him down again, this time on purpose. "Right. Anyone dumb enough to lose themselves in a blizzard is definitely someone to worry about. Get yourself killed doing something stupid again and you're fired."

Kodi laughed aloud. "Glad to see you too, Dusty."

Kip chuckled at the two. "Nothing's changed …"

"Nope, still the same ol' Dusty," Kodi replied with a grin.

Dusty sighed at this, but no one noticed as they began to bombard Kodi with questions.

"Where've you been all this time anyway?" Kirby asked.

"Yeah!" Ralph spoke up. "We've been cooped up in here wondering if you were even alive."

"How did you survive?" Nova asked.

Kodi looked appealingly to his father. Balto laughed and shook his head. "Sorry, Son, but you're on your own for this one."

Jenna smiled. "Your father had to listen to the same thing when he brought the antitoxin in."

"Well don't just sit there, start talking!" Kip pressed.

Kodi took a deep breath. "Well, you all remember that the night I disappeared, it was snowing pretty hard." Seeing all of them nodding, Kodi continued in his best storytelling voice. "Well, because our food had been stolen the previous night, I decided to stay awake and see if they showed up again. It grew dark, and still I saw nothing. My eyes were starting to close when suddenly, I saw something move…"

"A wolf?" Kip asked.

Kodi shrugged. "I couldn't tell. But it looked like one. He crept closer and closer…"

"How do you know it was a he?" Dusty asked.

Kodi cast a slightly annoyed glance at her. "I don't know, I just did. Anyway, suddenly he spotted me and took off running. I charged after him, but just as I was gaining..." He hesitated, grinning a bit as everyone leaned a bit closer. "And I'll tell you the rest tomorrow."

A series of groans followed this statement.

"Oh, come on!" Ralph protested.

"You wouldn't leave us hanging, would you?" Kirby asked.

"Really, guys. I'm beat!" Kodi protested.

"You will be if you don't finish the story," Dusty warned.

"Not a good excuse in my book either," Balto added.

Jenna shook her head. "Nope, you aren't getting out of it that easily."

Kodi gave his parents a mock glare. "Whose side are you all on, anyway?"

Balto chuckled lightly. "Yours, but we want to hear this tale of yours too."

"All right, all right, you win. But if I fall asleep talking, don't say I didn't warn you!"

"That's not a good excuse either," Dusty chimed in. "You can talk in your sleep."

Everyone erupted into laughter, and even Kodi couldn't help but enjoy the joke at his expense. As the laughter died away, Kodi continued speaking, holding everyone spellbound with his story as he told of the ambush, the forced run, and his failed escape attempt. Everyone was leaning close as he described the furious battle that ensued.

"And then I suddenly lost my balance and went down. I knew it was the end…" Kodi paused dramatically.

"Which of course it wasn't," Dusty said.

"Would you let me tell my own story?" Kodi asked with feigned annoyance. He cleared his throat. "Which of course it wasn't," he said, receiving several eye-rolls from those listening. "Just as I took what I was sure would be my last breath, all of the wolves suddenly stopped. When I opened my eyes, you'll never guess what I saw…"

"Lots of angry wolves trying to eat you?" Dusty quipped.

Kodi frowned at her. "I mean besides that!"

"Your life passing before your eyes?"

"It was a rhetorical question, Dusty…"

Dusty shrugged. "You should've made that clear."

"Do you want to tell the story?"

"When you're doing such a marvelous job? You must be joking!"

Kodi sighed and shook his head. "Anyway, I opened my eyes, and you'll never guess who I saw…" He stopped and glanced at Dusty who was looking innocently in his direction. He opened his mouth to continue.

"Who?" Dusty asked.

Kodi's voice caught and the rest of the team snickered. Grinning, she winked at him. Kodi shook his head before looking up. "It was my Uncle Kemo. His pa….ahem, clan had captured me," he said hurriedly to avoid any other interruptions.

"Next time I see him I'll have to talk to him about his hospitality," Balto chuckled, making a mental note to find out more details regarding his brother later.

"So what happened then, Kodi?" Nova piped up.

Kodi thought for a moment. While he trusted his team and his parents, he decided it wouldn't be wise to mention anything about his dealings with Kanti. Not yet at least. "Well, we pretty much straightened out the whole misunderstanding and I stayed there until the blizzard let up this morning."

Balto and Jenna studied their son carefully and exchanged glances. It was clear to them that Kodi was leaving out a large portion of the story, though they could not understand why. Perhaps he was just tired as he claimed, though they somehow doubted this was the case. Still, the mail team did not seem to notice.

"Not too bad. A good beginning and middle, but a lousy ending. I give it a four," Dusty said with a wink.

"Out of five?" Kodi asked.

"Out of twenty," Dusty returned sarcastically.

"Well thanks a lot…" Kodi shook his head, chuckling at the good-natured ribbing. "Don't we have a mail run tomorrow?"

"You betcha, Boss," Kip replied.

"In that case, I think I'm going to get some shuteye," Kodi said with a yawn.

"Yep, it's gonna be a long week," Kirby said, nodding in agreement.

Kodi smiled as he thought about his upcoming meeting with Kanti in another five days. "You're right about that, Kirby. A _very_ long week …"

* * *

**My thanks to Vash The Stampede for the use of his character Kavik. Be sure to check out his stories!**


	8. Comings and Goings

**Hey guys. No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth...just been rather occupied. I know this isn't too long of chapter, but I hope everyone enjoys it. I'd like to thank KITT40146 for helping me through a bad case of writers block and ninetalesuk and vash for allowing me to bounce ideas off of them. Hopefully this is worth the constant annoyance I inflicted on them. Please enjoy and review. I like to know what people think.  
**

**Comings and Goings  
**

Kodi awoke much earlier than he was accustomed to on his rest-days. He stretched his body out as far as possible before standing up and shaking his fur. Today was the day he had waited all week for! After lapping up some water, he padded silently over to one of the windows. Propping his forepaws up on the ledge, he looked outside with an excited, almost puppyish grin. _Clear skies. Today is gonna be good!_

He hopped down from the window and moved as quickly and quietly as he could to the door and pushed his nose against it. The door gave way with a rusty groan. Kodi winced and looked back at his still sleeping teammates and sighed with relief. He felt a tiny, inexplicable tug of guilt, but quickly shrugged it off. _It's not like I'm doing anything wrong. Just going to see a friend…that none of the others know about, that's all. Besides, it's not like I have to spend _all_ my time here._

With that thought in mind, he cautiously peeked outside. _Only a few humans. Looks like the coast is clear…_ He eased himself outside and carefully pushed the door shut. The smile returned to his face as he set out for the designated spot. Yes, today was going to be a good day indeed!

As soon as the door closed, Dusty raised her head. She had first awakened when she felt the blast of cold air from the open door, and she had been watching Kodi's furtive actions. _Now where is he off to? _She shook her head and lowered it back to her paws. _Oh well. His loss of sleep, not mine. Nothing to worry about…_

_

* * *

_

Kodi paced back and forth in front of the large rock, stopping every dozen steps or so to look up and gauge the sun's position. He sighed and shook his head. "We were supposed to meet two hours before high noon. She should have been here an hour ago," he muttered to himself. "I hope nothing's happened to her, I…no. Now I'm starting to sound like Mel. Kanti's fine. Maybe she just got held up. Or maybe she forgot. Or…"

He frowned and swallowed hard. He had heard of others being 'stood up' before, but it had never happened to him. Surely Kanti wouldn't do that to him. Would she? Kodi again looked up at the sky.

"Oh! You're already here," Kanti said as she strolled over to the stone marker. "I guess we both decided to arrive early."

Kodi was so surprised and relieved to hear her voice that any thoughts he had of mentioning timing left his mind. He turned to greet her, "Yep, I'm early all right. I'm glad you're here."

"Good. I was afraid I would be late," she said as she as she stopped beside him. "After you left, I realized you did not tell me what _hour_ is. So I guessed."

Kodi winced internally. _Didn't know what an…Of course she wouldn't! She's a wolf. All this worrying because of a stupid little mistake like _that "Oh, heh…well the important thing is that you're here. And I'm here. We're both here…"

Kanti arched her brow at him. "Kodiak, are you feeling well?"

"Huh?" Kodi looked a bit puzzled before hastily nodding. "Oh! Yes, yes, I'm feeling fine. Just fine. Really…" He trailed off and cleared his throat uncomfortably.

Puzzled, Kanti frowned a bit before an understanding smile suddenly tugged at her mouth. "This is your first time alone with a female?"

"No!" Kodi denied instantly. He shifted a bit. "Umm…does family count?"

Unsure if this was some sort of domestic-canine humor, Kanti hesitated before shaking her head. "No..."

"Teammates?"

Confused, Kanti slowly shook her head again. "I do not think so."

"Oh." Kodi frowned a bit before offering a humiliated sigh and turning his eyes to the ground. "Then yes…" He sighed again. This was not how he had planned things. Not at all. _Now she's gonna think I'm a fool…and she's probably right._

The absolute truthfulness of Kodi's admission stupefied Kanti. Most would have let the initial denial stand. She had never met anyone _that_ honest about themselves, even among her own kind. There seemed to be no end to the ways this dog could impress her. "All of the others in your uncle's pack are my family and team, so…"

Kodi raised his eyes to hers. "Oh? So you mean…this is sorta like your first time to?"

Smiling shyly, Kanti nodded.

As the full meaning of her words sank in, he suddenly brightened considerably. "Oh..." he said, drawing out the word. "Well, we could talk…"

"Alright," she answered quickly. "What do we speak of?"

Kodi grinned. "Oh, I don't know…what do wolves usually talk about?"

Kanti lowered her muzzle a bit, eying him skeptically. "We spoke of this the night before you departed. Do you not remember this?"

Kodi shook his head. "I remember, but you're missing the point. It was a joke."

"Joke?" Kanti asked.

"You know, something funny."

Kanti frowned in confusion. "But that was not funny…"

"It was meant to be though. Don't wolves have jokes?"

"Yes, we have jokes," Kanti replied after a moment's thought.

"Like wh…"

Faster than Kodi could react, the gray wolf jumped up and used her forepaws to push his face down into the snow before springing off and spinning around laughing. Kodi sat up sputtering and trying to shake the cold ice crystals from his face and chest. "What was that?" he demanded.

Kanti continued to bounce back and forth like a puppy, landing each time with her hindquarters in the air and her tail wagging. "That was joke!" she laughed.

"Wha…no it wasn't!" Kodi protested, shaking his fur again. "Jokes are supposed to be funny!"

"That was funny!" Kanti returned.

"Oh yeah?" Kodi suddenly lunged at her but found himself tumbling into the snow as Kanti dodged his attack and clipped his hind legs with her shoulder as she moved, sending him careening off balance. Again he jumped, and again he met only air.

"Can you not move faster?" Kanti teased as she ducked under his flying body.

Kodi landed and spun to face her. "I'm the fastest dog on my team!"

"That does not say much for dogs…" she remarked as she awaited his next move.

"Yeah, you just wait until I catch you!" Kodi warned, pouncing at her.

Kanti merely sidestepped to elude him. "We will both be graying around the muzzle by then."

"Very funny…"

"Did I just make joke?"

"No." Kodi jumped and missed yet again. "Do you have to keep moving around like that?"

The wolf feigned a yawn. "I am bored…"

"Then stand still."

Kanti tossed her head self-confidently. "I said I am bored, not stupid."

Aiming to take advantage of what appeared to be a lull in her concentration, Kodi dove at her, only to have her duck down and take off running as he soared past. His paws slid through the powdery snow, seeking purchase to slow himself. He turned and saw that Kanti had stopped only a few yards away, a bright smile on her face. She spun around once in challenge and took off running again.

With a grin of his own, he took off after her. _Now _this_ is more up my alley…_

_

* * *

_

"And you're _sure_ you haven't seen him since this morning?" Kirby asked, pacing back and forth in front of the others. Kip and Nova were lying with their forepaws hanging over the edge of the shelf while Dusty and Ralph remained below them.

Dusty sat where she was, head tracking the former lead-dog's movements. "No, Kirby, I'm not sure," she answered with the most biting sarcasm she could muster. "Don't you know there are lots of dogs in Nome that look, smell, and sound like Kodi?"

Kirby stopped right in front of her. "Hey, you're the one who saw him leave…"

"So?"

"So why didn't you stop him?"

"From what?" Dusty shot back, not intimidated in the least. "It's not like I'm his watchdog or something!"

"Maybe he went for a walk," Ralph suggested.

Nova reached down and decked him. "Over twelve hours!"

The stocky husky winced as he rubbed his head. "Well, it could've been a long walk…"

"Yeah, Ralph, whatever you say," Dusty said, glancing out the window.

"Am I the only one worried that we have a mail run tomorrow and no lead-dog?" Kirby interjected.

"No, Dusty is," Kip snickered. "She always gets that tone when she…" He quickly sobered as he felt her eyes burning holes through him. "I'm worried too," he added hastily.

Kirby rolled his eyes. "Look, can we get back to the…" A loud creak and a blast of cold air grabbed his attention and he looked back at the door in time to see Kodi nosing the door closed behind himself as he entered. All of them noticed his stiff walk and bedraggled appearance.

Kodi drug himself toward his teammates, weary muscles angrily protesting even this short journey. He was oblivious to the five sets of eyes scrutinizing his every movement. With an exhausted moan, he allowed himself to collapse in front of the boiler.

Kirby looked over at the rest of the team and then back at their lead dog. Shaking his head, he walked over and prodded Kodi in the ribs. "Well look what the cat drug in…"

Kodi squeezed his eyes closed and tried to curl up. "Lay off, Kirby, I'm bushed…"

"That much is obvious," Kirby replied, prodding him in the shoulder. "Do you by chance know what time it is?"

With an annoyed groan, Kodi rolled onto his belly and raised his head, frowning at the stocky, brown husky. "Yes, Mother, and I drank all my milk too," he said, placing his head on his forepaws and closing his eyes.

Kirby glared over his shoulder as the rest of the team burst into loud guffaws. "That wasn't funny," he grumbled.

"Sorry, but he gotcha there, Kirb," Kip replied, rolling onto his back as he continued to chuckle.

"Well excuse me," Kirby remarked to Kodi. "You do know we still have to run the line tomorrow, right?"

This time Kodi didn't even bother to raise his head. "Yes. So let me get some rest, will ya?"

Kirby stared at him for a long moment before finally turning away grumbling. As her teammates curled up and closed their own eyes, Dusty continued to look at Kodi. Something was going on below the surface, she was sure of that much. Still, it didn't feel right to pry into his business. _Besides, it's only a matter of time before we find out what's going on anyway. Kodi's never been good at keeping secrets._

With that thought in mind, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Kodi?" The frowns and slow headshakes wordlessly gave Dusty the answer to what was becoming an all-too-common question during their off time. 

It had been a week since Kodi's first disappearance. Everyone, including Kip, had come to a consensus that this was starting to get old. Contrary to popular belief, Kodi continued to be rather stingy when it came to minor details…like where he disappeared to all the time. None of them could find an acceptable reason to justify prying into Kodi's affairs. After all, his performance running the line remained unscathed. This still did not make them any happier about the situation though.

"Not since breakfast," Kip said.

"Well, that's an improvement," Kirby huffed. "Usually he's gone before we're even up."

"It is dark already," Nova observed.

"We really should find out what's going on with him," Kip remarked.

"If Kodi wants to be alone sometimes, let him be," Dusty replied stoically.

"Be alone sometime?" Kirby asked incredulously. "How do you know that's what he's doing?"

Dusty shrugged. "I dunno nothin'. I just think it's none of our business."

"In village where I am from, dogs that act like Kodi have girl," Nova suggested.

This caused Dusty to suddenly snap her head around to look at the younger dog. "You think _Kodi_ has a girlfriend?"

Nova nodded.

Dusty chuckled and shook her head. "Kodi may have a lot of confidence when pulling a sled, but his self-confidence level around any female is kind of like Ralph's."

Ralph started to nod before the words finally caught up to him. "Wha…? Hey!"

"Sorry, Ralphy. It's a hard truth. Live with it," Dusty replied coolly, sparking a few half-hearted smiles at what had used to be typical team banter.

"I dunno," Kip said with a shrug. "There _are_ a lot of girls that like him."

Kirby snorted. "Yeah? Like who?"

Kip rolled his head back as he began to rattle off names. "Well, there's Patches and Trixie and Sweets and…"

"…Molly and Storm and Sparkle and…" Dusty picked up in a monotone.

Ralph picked up the list from there. "…Charlene and Coffee and Peppermint and Maxine…"

Nova nodded at each name and interjected in front of Ralph. "…and Gretta…"

"Isn't she fourteen years old?" Kirby asked with a laugh.

Nova nodded and continued. "and Nanook and Snowflake and…"

"And what're those little ones' names?" Kip asked. "You know, the Chihuahua sisters? Alicia Jacinta Placida Valentia…"

Kirby's eyes instantly widened. "All of them?"

Nova shook his head. "No. That just the first one…"

"And that's not even half the ones in Nome," Kip chuckled. "We haven't even touched White Mountain yet…"

"Never mind, never mind…I get the picture," Kirby butted in. "Why didn't I know this? And why is Kodi still single if he's got all these dames chasing after him?"

"Because you just don't notice these things," Dusty replied.

"And neither does he," Kip added.

"All them and he doesn't notice? You've gotta be kidding me…"

Kip shook his head. "Nope. Not a thing."

"Well maybe he'll stop wandering off if we get him tied down."

"Unless he is already 'tied down,'" Nova said, repeating his theory.

Dusty frowned, not liking where this line of thought could lead. "Look, we're off the point. I still say …"

The sound of a familiar creak and groan, followed by a metallic click caused the five huskies to fall silent. "Hey guys!" Kodi said cheerily.

"Speak of the devil…" Kirby muttered just loud enough for the rest of the team to hear.

Kodi strolled over to them, wearing a bright grin on his face. "What's up?"

Ralph pretended to study the bare rafters overhead. "Oh, nothing…"

"We've just been talking…" Kip added casually.

"Oh? About what?"

"About you," Dusty stated bluntly, earning some withering glares from her teammates. Catching the looks with his peripheral vision, she looked around at them. "What? He should know how we feel."

"Feel about what?" Kodi asked curiously. When no one answered right away, he looked around at all of the averted eyes. "Well?"

"Well…it's like this, Kodi," Kirby said slowly. "We're worried."

"Yeah, really worried," Ralph chimed.

"Worried? Worried about what?"

"About you," Kirby replied.

"Me?" Kodi asked. "What for?"

Dusty rolled her eyes. "Hello? Disappearing for a week during a snowstorm and now vanishing for hours on end every time we're off? Any of that ringing a bell?"

Kodi stared blinked a couple of times before surprising everyone by laughing. "Oh, that! It's nothing for you guys to worry about."

"Nothing to…?" Dusty started. "What do you mean…"

"We just think you may be overworking yourself," Kip quickly interjected.

Kodi stared at him, confusion evident in his eyes. "Huh?"

"You're running every day of the week," Kip explained. "Then you get back here, you disappear, and you come back looking exhausted. No dog can keep up a pace like that for long."

"We're still holding a perfect record," Kodi said casually. "I've never felt better."

Kip opened his mouth but quickly closed it as his silver tongue failed him. He looked at the others for support. Ralph was the first to act. "We just want you back, Kodi."

The simple statement caught Kodi's attention. He quickly realized that he had indeed spent quite a bit of time away from the team. "So that's what this is about?"

A series of head nods met his question. "Well, we've got tomorrow off to. I'll spend it here." He yawned deeply. "I'll see you guys in the morning."

Dusty was still searching for words as Kodi moved to his sleeping spot and curled up. She sighed in defeat as she looked at her four other teammates. That was not the point they'd been trying to make at all, but it was still better than nothing.


	9. Musings

**Ok, first of all, I want to thank all the dedicated fans who have been sending me hate mail trying to get me going on this story again. Thanks, I couldn't have done it without you. Unfortunately, I've been rather busy with Air Force stuff, and while this chapter is short, hopefully it'll whet your appetites for more. I'll try to make my next update in less than 2 years...**

**Musings**

Dusty's eyes fluttered open. It was still night time, and she wondered why she was awake when she should be sound asleep. As she lay there, she heard something; probably what had awakened her. Sitting up, she cocked her head to the side, listening carefully. There was no sound however, except for the typical creaks and groans she'd become accustomed to hearing from the old shed which was now serving as a makeshift kennel.

Nothing. She was on the verge of dismissing it as her imagination when she heard it yet again. It was coming from inside the building. She looked around to see if anyone else was awake. Seeing none of the other pups awake, she rolled her eyes and considered rousing them on general principle. _Nice to have such alert future-teammates._ Shaking her head, she allowed her curiosity to get the better of her and she stood and moved out of stall where she and the other pups had picked to sleep. Padding softly, she moved cautiously down the straw-covered floor. She stopped and listened again.

_Sniff_

She heard the distinctive sound coming from the next stall on the right. Cautiously, her adventurous mind prepared for any enemy she might encounter there, she poked her head around the wooden wall. Curled up in the far corner, she could see the low outline of the pup that their human had brought in that evening.

_Sniff_

Well, something had to be done or she was never going to get any sleep. "Pssst! Hey!" She whispered softly but sharply.

The pup didn't move.

"Hey! You!" she whispered a bit louder.

The pup turned his head a bit and saw her standing there. "Me?" he asked meekly.

"Yeah, you! Can you get your allergies under control or something? I'm tryin' ta sleep!"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," the pup answered softly.

There was something wrong with his voice. Moving a bit closer, she quickly realized what it was and stopped in shock. "You're crying!"

"No I'm not," the pup replied defensively, his thick voice betraying him.

"Are too!"

The pup glared at her. "Just leave me alone!" He turned to face the wall, still whimpering softly.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, have it your way." Turning to leave, she looked back to make another remark. Seeing him sitting there all alone though…

Sighing, she turned again and walked over to him. "What's wrong?"

"You botherin' me, that's what," the pup shot back.

_Wow…this kid speaks my language._ Still, his words raised her hackles. "Don't get your tail in a knot! I was just tryin' to be nice. Forget I asked."

The pup looked over at her, all evidence of resistance gone. "I miss my mom and dad," he sniffed.

Dusty nodded empathetically. It wasn't more than a week ago when she'd been in the same situation…well, she hadn't been crying, but she at least knew how he was feeling. "Homesick, huh?"

The pup nodded.

"Yeah, but bein' away from home ain't a bad thing though," she said.

He looked up. "It's not?"

"Course not! I mean, did your mom ever let you stay up this late?"

He shook his head. "No."

"See? Things're better already."

"But don't you miss your home?"

Dusty shrugged. "Ah, after you get to know a few of the others, you get used to it pretty quick."

The other pup frowned. "I guess…"

"Tell ya what, I'll be the first one you meet. I'm Dusty. What's your name?"

The pup sniffed again. "Kodiak...everbody calls me Kodi though..."

A sudden realization dawned on her. "Hey! You're Balto's kid, aren't ya?"

Kodi nodded slowly.

Dusty shook her head at the irony of the situation. Balto was strong, fearless, and self confident. He was the hero that every sled-dog-in-training dreamed of becoming, yet here was his son sitting in the dark and crying his eyes out. _This is too rich. Wonder what the other guys'll think? No more picking on the only girl anymore, that's for sure!_

As if reading her thoughts, Kodi looked at her pleadingly. "You won't tell anyone about this will you?"

She started to reel off a sarcastic reply, but something about his naïve and trusting gaze stopped her. Mulling over her options carefully, she frowned. "That depends…"

Kodi tilted his head to the side questioningly. "On what?"

"You won't tell anyone that I was bein' nice to ya or nothin', will ya?"

Not sure how else to reply to this strange request, he shook his head. "Umm…I guess…"

"Okay then. You keep my secret and I'll keep yours, got it?"

Kodi nodded, staring at his paws. "Got it…"

Dusty stared at him for a moment as if to ascertain the sincerity of his words. "Good…cuz I got a reputation ta maintain."

The rust-colored pup's face twisted in confusion. "A reppa-what?"

Dusty rolled her eyes. "A reputation. Where everyone knows ya for somethin'. You know…kinda like what your dad has."

"Oh…" Kodi nodded in understanding. He looked at her curiously. "So what town you save?"

Dusty frowned, trying to decide whether this pup was for real or if he was just toying with her. Seeing that he seemed sincere enough, she rolled her eyes. "Not for saving a town, Silly. For bein' the strongest, toughest, meanest sled dog around!"

"How you do that?"

"I take care of myself an' no one else."

"What about friends?" Kodi asked slowly.

"Don't need 'em," she replied proudly.

"Oh." Kodi's eyes dropped to his paws again. He'd been hopeful that perhaps she could be his friend in this strange place. He sniffled again. "Umm…sorry for botherin' ya. I'll try not to again…" He slowly rose to his paws and started to pad away from her with his head and tail hanging low.

Despite her bravado, Dusty couldn't help but feel sorry for him in such a state. With a sigh, she spoke up again. "Hey Kodi…"

Kodi stopped walking and turned his sad eyes toward her.

With another sigh, Dusty shrugged. "Look. How about I introduce you to the others in the morning?"

Kodi's eyes lit up. "Really? But I thought you said…"

"But don't think I'm doing it to be nice," she added hurriedly. "I just wanna get some sleep tonight."

Undeterred by her bravado this time, Kodi gave her a slight smile. "Thanks."

With a shrug, Dusty waved off the gratitude. "Yeah, yeah. No big deal. Just turn off the waterworks already…" She yawned and turned to leave.

"Dusty?"

Glancing back over her shoulder, she regarded Kodi once more. "Yeah?"

"I'll be your friend too…"

* * *

The groan of metal on rusted metal forced its way into Dusty's consciousness, causing her dream to dissolve into the dimly lit boiler room. Blinking sleepily, she glanced around, eyes seeking anything out of the ordinary. With a yawn, she placed her head on her paws again, hoping to resume dreaming of her first meeting with Kodi. If only that old door hadn't interrupted her in the first place… 

With a startled gasp, she raised her head abruptly as her drowsy mind suddenly made the connection. Sure enough, the spot where Kodi usually slept was vacant. Scrambling to her paws, she looked around before hurrying over to the door and poking her head outside. A quick glance confirmed what she already knew: Kodi was gone again.

Fighting her initial impulse to pursue Kodi, she turned back into the boiler room. "Hey guys, you're not gonna believe this…"

A series of annoyed groans erupted from her teammates.

"Is still our day off, no?" Nova asked sleepily.

Kip barely cracked an eyelid. "Yes. Come on, Dusty, Nova's right. What time is it anyway?"

"Just past dawn," Dusty replied matter-of-factly.

Another series of groans erupted.

Ralph tried to curl his hefty frame into a tighter ball. "This better be good…"

"If she doesn't say that the boiler room is on fire or that she's about to kick the bucket, I'll kill her myself," Kirby muttered as he slid a paw across his muzzle to further shield his eyes.

Dusty frowned in annoyance. "How about if I said Kodi's gone?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Kirby replied without bothering to open his eyes. "Kodi said he'd stick around today, remember?"

"Yeah, Kodi never reneges on a promise," Kip added as he yawned and curled up again. "Right Kodi?" Hearing no reply, Kip slowly raised his head. "Kodi?"

Hearing no response, the rest of the team raised their heads one by one, looking to the spot where their leader usually slept. Seeing it vacant, they exchanged incredulous glances.

Staring at her speechless teammates, Dusty was the only one to find her tongue. "I think we have a problem."

* * *

"Kanti?" Kodi called out loudly. "You here?" A muted echo was the only response. His eyes scanned the area, searching for any sign that she was near. Glancing up at the dimly lit sky, he could tell he was still a bit early, so he sat down beside the rock to wait. Over the past two weeks, he had been faced with an increasingly greater desire to spend more time with Kanti...so much so that it had been affecting his ability to sleep. He never thought to long on the matter though, for he knew that it would lead him down paths he did not think himself ready to travel. 

A sudden tingle coursed through his body, interrupting his thoughts. He quickly dropped to his belly as a shadow soared over him and landed a few yards away. "Nice try, Kanti," he said with a smirk.

Kanti snorted and tossed her head proudly. "What do you mean by that? Who is the one covered in snow?"

"At least it was done by me instead of you this time," he retorted, shaking the ice crystals out of his fur.

"Irrelevant," she said, tossing her head proudly.

Kodi chuckled and walked over to her and brushed his shoulder against hers. "It's good to see you again, too. But I'm afraid I can't stay long today. I promised my team that I would spend the day with them."

"Then why are you here?" Kanti asked, tilting her head questioningly.

"Well…I didn't want you to think I'd stood you up…"

"Stood me up? But I am already standing. I can do that on my own, you know."

"That's not quite what I meant. I meant stood _up_…"

"That is what you just said. And I can do that on my own." She sat down and quickly raised herself to all four paws again. "See?"

Kodi found himself squeezing his eyes shut. The literalism that seemed bred into wolves never ceased to amaze him. "I know, but….I mean promising someone you'd be someplace and then not being there."

"Like you are doing to your team?"

From anyone else, Kodi might have taken the remark in offense, but when such questions came from Kanti, they were asked out of blunt curiosity. "Well…not really. If I know them, and believe me I do, they probably won't wake up until the sun is high overhead."

"And this makes a difference?"

Kodi hesitated in his reply. "Well…kinda. Depends on if they wake up early I guess."

Kanti shook her head slowly as she tried to grasp his words. "I do not understand this. It seems dishonest…"

With a frown, Kodi shook his head. "It's just…complicated."

"Why? Whenever I come to meet you, I always tell someone in the clan what I am doing."

"Yeah but…" Kodi's brow furrowed as he realized what she had just said. "Wait, your clan knows that you've been seeing me all this time?"

"Of course," she replied, tilting her head in confusion. "Have you not told this team of yours?"

Kodi's mouth opened to offer an explanation, but quickly found himself devoid of a suitable explanation. "Uhhh…."

"Your clan?"

Under this kind of scrutiny, Kodi found himself unable to meet her gaze. "No."

Kanti sat down with confusion in her eyes. "I…do not understand."

It was quickly becoming apparent to Kodi that he was floundering. "I….look, Kanti. I'm a dog, right?"

"Yes."

"And you're a wolf."

"Yes…"

"Well…where I come from it's not….well…_proper_ for dogs to get along with wolves…"

"So you are ashamed of your association with me?"

"Wha…?" Kodi stopped mid-word at that. He was not certain which was more vexing, the question or the complete absence of any anger from her tone. "_No_! No, no, no! It's not like that at all!"

Kanti tipped her head to the other side. "Then what is it?"

"It's…" Finding himself again at a loss for words, Kodi allowed his shoulders to slump. "It's just complicated is all."

"What is complicated about the truth in speaking of a friend to your clan?"

"Because it is more than that, I…it's complicated. You wouldn't understand."

"Why?"

"Because….because I like you, Kanti."

The wolf pulled her head back in further confusion. "I like you to, Kodi. Do friends not do that among dogs?"

Kodi shook his head. "No, Kanti. I mean I _like_ you. A _lot_." Seeing her shaking her head in puzzlement, he tried another angle. "I mean I see you as more than just a friend."

Though his words were making little sense in themselves to her, Kanti was beginning to draw an understanding of his meaning. "I…see. You see me as more than a friend. Like a…mate?"

Grimacing at the bluntness, Kodi could not help but nod. "Yeah, I know. A dog and a wolf…it's probably the stupidest thing you've ever heard…"

"No it's not," she interjected quickly.

Kodi hesitated for a moment, making certain that his ears were not playing tricks on him. "You…don't?"

Kanti shook her head shyly.

Feeling his hopes rising, his eyes widened a bit as he took a step closer to her. "So does this mean that maybe we…?"

Kanti immediately shook her head. "No."

Suddenly Kodi found himself in an emotional freefall. Sitting back to steady himself, he tried to put his tumultuous thoughts into words. "What? But…you…don't you feel the same?"

"What I feel does not matter," Kanti responded. "It is not natural."

Kodi shook his head as well. "If it wasn't natural, my father would not be here, and neither would I."

"What would your family and friends think? What would my clan think?"

"Does it matter?"

"Certainly it matters! I cease to exist when my clan is concerned. And it matters to you as well."

"No it doesn't…"

"It must. You would not tell anyone when we were friends. You feared their response. How would your family feel if they knew you wanted to pursue a wolf's affections beyond friendship?"

He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it, realizing that he didn't know how those closest to him would react to such a revelation. Gritting his teeth a bit, Kodi tried the most obvious solution to him. "We could keep it a secret. No one would…"

"No, Kodiak." Her response was cold and firm. "I will not be a part of that kind of deception."

Kodi looked around, desperately searching for some solution he could pluck from the air. "What if I tell them?"

Kanti hesitated. "You would do that?"

Nodding eagerly, Kodi stood up. "That's right! I'll tell everyone about us and let them know that even if they don't approve, it does not change my feelings for you. Would you accept me then?"

Gazing steadily at him for a moment with her amber eyes, Kanti slowly nodded. "Yes, but you would have to accept me as I am."

A feeling of relief washed over him, and Kodi slowly let out his breath and stuck out his chest in acceptance of the challenge. "Great. I'll go do it right now! You'll see. Everything will be great."

He hesitantly leaned forward and touched his nose to the side of her muzzle and was elated when the gesture was returned. Putting on a brave face, he turned and began to run toward Nome. _This'll be easy…too easy._


End file.
